The Answer Which You Seek Is Found In The Cross

The Cross is a Finished Work. Every single blessing received by the Child of God comes through Calvary.

The Way Of The Spirit
Focus: The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
Object Of Faith: The Cross of Christ (Romans 6:1-14)
Power Source: The Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-2, 11)
Results: Victory (Romans 6:14)

Man's Way
Focus: Works.
Object Of Faith: Performance.
Power Source: Self.
Results: Defeat!

The only way to God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6)...the only way to Jesus Christ is by the Means of the Cross (Luke 14:27). The only way to the Cross is a denial of self (Luke 9:23). If any person tries to come any other way, Jesus says, "they are a thief and a robber" (John 10:1).

1. Jesus Christ is the source of all blessings.
2. The Cross is the means by which all blessings are given.
3. The object of our faith must be Christ and the Cross.
4. That being done, the Holy Spirit will greatly help us.

This is on the edge of idolatry. Jesus Christ HIMSELF is the object of our faith. The cross (non-capitalized) was merely the instrument of His death.

Romans 6:1-14 says nothing about the cross. It mentions Christ crucified, but not the tool through which His death was brought about.

Correct. Our total focus must be on Christ -- crucified, resurrected, ascended, and exalted. That includes the power of the shed blood of Christ, which is now *the blood of sprinkling* on the Mercy Seat in the Heavenly Sanctuary. And Christ is now in Heaven as our GREAT HIGH PRIEST.

The cross was the instrument by which Christ finished the work of redemption. But the Lamb of God on the cross was the supreme sacrifice which God provided in Christ. *God will provide Himself a Lamb* is what Abraham said prophetically. Therefore Jesus said these highlighted words before the foundation of the world:

HEBREWS 10
1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

No - that's not it, I've been seeking for a word for two weeks.

The preached 'cross' or the message of the cross is not merely the piece of wood Jesus died on but it is the message which opens the door to eternal life when it is received...

It separates the 'spiritualized Jesus' of today of which many embrace without acknowledging one's own sinfulness, on the one hand, and on the other hand the true Jesus who comes and rescues sinful and doomed humanity through His perfect obedience and shed blood atoning for our sins...the sinless ONE for the sinful ones.

I always wonder why people do not wear gold electric chairs or syringes around their necks....and why people/religions still have Jesus on the cross......

If the Cross of Christ is not strictly the Object of our Faith, God looks at everything else as "worldliness." No matter how religious our efforts may be otherwise, it is still looked at by the Lord as "friendship with the world." This means the Believer in essence becomes an "enemy of God."

Philippians 3:17-21 King James Version (KJV)

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS DOCTRINE

17 Brethren, be followers together of me (be "Fellow-imitators"), and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample (observe intently).

18 (For many walk (speaks of those attempting to live for God outside of the victory and rudiments of the Cross of Christ), of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping (this is a most serious matter), that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ (those who do not look exclusively to the Cross of Christ must be labeled "enemies"):

19 Whose end is destruction (if the Cross is ignored, and continues to be ignored, the loss of the soul is the only ultimate conclusion), whose God is their belly (refers to those who attempt to pervert the Gospel for their own personal gain), and whose glory is in their shame (the material things they seek, God labels as "shame"), who mind earthly things.) (This means they have no interest in Heavenly things, which signifies they are using the Lord for their own personal gain.)

20 For our conversation (citizenship) is in Heaven (meaning the other ways will have no place in Heaven); from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Rapture):

21 Who (the Lord) shall change our vile body (the Resurrection), that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious body (every Saint will have a Glorified Body), according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. ("All things" are done through the Cross.)

"All things" are done through the Cross. If you leave the Cross, you enter death (Romans 8:1-2, 6, 13)

JSM

Well, with groups like the ACLU trying to erase it's presence from the public, I am tempted to placard a hunk-a-one around my neck LOL.

Haha hilarious bro.....tragic truth....we, our beliefs, our churches and the bible will continue to be ostricized and by law relegated/consigned to the pages of history...........and jail I might add.....with a side order of death in the end!

MessageOfTheCross said:

Philippians 3:17-21 King James Version (KJV)

Click to expand...

Fixed it for you... I got rid of that messy red stuff you spilled all over the word of God.

MessageOfTheCross said:

If the Cross of Christ is not strictly the Object of our Faith, God looks at everything else as "worldliness." No matter how religious our efforts may be otherwise, it is still looked at by the Lord as "friendship with the world." This means the Believer in essence becomes an "enemy of God."

Click to expand...

The "cross of Christ" is a metaphor only. The cross was not prophesied dozens of times, born of a virgin, descended from David, and raised in Galilee. The cross did not spend a night in prayer before calling the disciples. The cross was not glorified on the mount beside Moses and Elijah. The cross did not turn water into wine, heal the sick, or raise the dead. The cross did not drip sweat mixed with blood. In fact the cross did nothing but receive the nails that held our Saviour. The cross was not raised from the dead, and the cross is not coming again in glory. The cross is not God incarnate...

JESUS is.

Bahahaha...

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you this season.

Once you've gotten yourself past your reactivity, perhaps you could explain what in my post leads you to think that I'm not saved.

Why would one that does get saved must now see a pastor and what denomination of pastor do you recommend?

[QUOTE="MessageOfTheCross, post: 3805931, member: 245115"]“23 But we preach Christ Crucified (this is the Foundation of the Word of God and, thereby, of Salvation), unto the Jews a stumblingblock (the Cross was the stumblingblock), and unto the Greeks foolishness (both found it difficult to accept as God a dead Man hanging on a Cross, for such Christ was to them);” 1 Cor. 1:23[/QUOTE]
The problem with this commentary is that it is self-contradictory. The part I left in bold is error: the cross itself was not a stumbling block to the Jews; rather, the crucifixion of Jesus was the stumbling block. The third comment above notes this.

Jews were expecting an earthly king, a conquering saviour who would overthrow the Romans. Clearly any man who was crucified could not be their Messiah.

"The cross" when used as a metaphor for the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ is legitimate. "The cross" when capitalized, overused, and divorced from its metaphorical meaning is idolatrous.

Perhaps it's time to stop posting JSM material and start posting just your own thoughts or unadulterated Scripture.

You have not yet answered, so I'm asking again: on what basis do you call me unsaved?

Am a bit wary when people copy and paste other preachers sermons into a bible discussion and not their own thoughts/conclusions.

christ crucified...means Jesus on the cross. Its his blood that paid for our sins. Yes thats very important for without blood there is no remission of sin.

JEsus said people must take up their cross and follow Him. I dont think he meant a literal cross.

Of the cross itself, it was made of wood, presumably from a tree....and the first thing God planted and let adam and Eve know about was the tree..the trees they could eat from, the tree that they couldnt. So none of it is without significance. We know Jesus was a carpenter or the son of one so would have known all about wood, nails, building etc. later we hear that Jesus died on a tree. Acts 5:30 . They mean the same crucifixtion its just a different way to describe it.

Although I am inclined to say and have heard pastors say this...the answer to everything is Jesus.
But yes the crucifixtion was important because Jesus paid our ransom, only his blood could redeem us and cover all our sins.