Jesus, thank you!

Monday, February 06, 2006

When The Word Of The Cross Becomes Trite

Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Gal. 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which* the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

I must confess that I struggle in my exultation of the cross. I want the cross of Christ to shape my thinking, I want to have genuine gratitude for it, I want the pain and suffering that took place there vivid in my mind, I want the word of the cross to be fresh, not trite. Why then is the cross so hard to get my mind around? Why do I struggle with seeing it for more than just something that took place 2000 years ago? We have nothing more worthy of our boasting than Christ and his death for us, but why do those words become so dry and lifeless to us? John Piper said this about Paul's boasting:

Boasting in the cross happens when you are on the cross.

I believe this is true. The more I obey Christ and sacrifice my earthly desires for his sake, the more clear the gospel becomes to me! As I become more obedient, I become more thankful for the cross, because I am taking part in the cross by crucifying my flesh. The cross was so vivid to paul, because he suffered greatly for it's cause. People who are being tortured for the Lord in Sudan have no problem boasting in the cross. Why? Not because of their knowledge of it, not because they've psyched themselves up, not because their pastor is cross centered. They love the cross because they are on it! They love the cross because their life is characterized by sacrifice for the cause of Christ. If we never sacrifice our desires, even the morally neutral ones in order that we might take part in his cross, it will remain something that we say we're thankful for, but really have no affection for. So in conclusion, those who are thankful for the cross are those who are willingly experiencing it by the crucifixion of their flesh.

Rom. 12:1 ¶ zI appeal to you therefore, brothers,* by the mercies of God, ato present your bodies bas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.*

I can already think of ways that I can take part in crucifying my flesh today. May Christ make the cross my boast!

Posted by Jeremy Turner :: 9:17 AM :: 1 comments