Save Yourself

Something to think about.

 

 

Save Yourself

 

39 One of the criminals who was hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Luke 23:29

 

Was it a desperate cry for salvation? Was it a taunt and insult or both? If I am the one on the cross next to Jesus, I might ask the same question. With a different intent, not to taunt but as the last desperate plea of dying man.  We know that this was not the intent of the criminal hung alongside Christ.  We know it was at the very least a taunt or a challenge to Jesus to prove Himself.

 

We behave as if the man hanging next to Jesus was singular in his demand and challenge to Jesus. He wanted Jesus to prove His divinity. We may not use the same words, but in essence, we ask the same question.  If God were alive, why does God allow? Where was God when?  If there were a God, there would not be injustice, famine wars ext.  It is all the same question, If you are Christ save us and prove to us you are who you say you are?  We are asking Him to die again and again and again and forever to prove to each of us his divinity. Asking Him to die for every sin all the time to prove His worth to us.  

 

The criminal hanging next to Jesus is guilty of His crimes, His sins.   He is asking Jesus to save Him from the sin He is guilty of. He is asking, no he is demanding that Christ do for Him what he could not do himself.  To remove his just condemnation without atonement for his sin.  We are the asking the same thing. We want to be justified without making payment.

 

We all want the same thing we want to be absolved of our sin without personal cost.  That is what all our spiritual, intellectual, political correctness is all about. Let us not remind anyone of their sin. Let us not actually hold anyone responsible for their sin. Let us demand that God change His laws that we may have our way. Let's do away with righteousness. 

 

The criminal hanging on the cross did not even acknowledge His sin, His crimes. He only wants to be saved from them. He was not concerned about his quilt, righteousness or God. All he wanted was for his sin not to cost Him His life. 

 

That is who we are. We sin and do not want the consequences of the sin. We want to live unrighteously and receive righteousness. We want Christ to die on the cross not for our salvation but for a license to continue to sin.  

 

Christ died for your salvation, not to be the whipping boy for your sin.

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Risen

Something to think about.

Risen

⁵ But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew  28: 5-6 

"He is risen," spoken by an angel of God defines the destiny of humanity. This man Jesus died. Not an uncommon occurrence, as a matter of fact, is is a very common occurrence it will happen to everyone of us.  What is unique is that He was brought back to life. His resurrection and the power of God that resurrected Him sets Him apart from every other person that has ever lived.  His life and ministry took on a whole new meaning because He became the first to come into a new life. Do you understand, without the resurrection, Jesus would probably have been lost and forgotten in the pages of history? After his crucifixion, all of His apostles were in hiding in fear for their lives. Without the resurection, they all would have scattered and disappeared. Without this event, we would have nothing to believe in. But since it did happen it changes everything even our very lives. "He is Risen" are the most important words ever spoken.

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Spirit and Power

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Spirit and Power

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. ² For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, ⁴ and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

"Demonstration of the Spirit and of power," we have devised a plethora of ways to share the gospel, which is good. But where is the "demonstration of the Spirit and of power"? Our gospel must be infused with the Spirit of God and the power of God, or it is not the Gospel of God. 

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Something to think about.

The Power of God

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Romans 1:16 ESV

The gospel is the only thing that offers salvation to man. It is all inclusive; it is available to everyone. It is straightforward and complete.  Jesus was crucified so that you might live. Focus on this, learn what this means; so that you may receive the life that has been purchased for you.

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