Is The Cross Of Christ The Most Important Part Of The Plan Of God?

[reneweddaybyday]

this means that if the Believer attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, i.e, "The Finished Work", i.e., "The Blood of Jesus," they are doomed to failure.

The believer is not "doomed for failure" when he/she lives in light of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven.

You refuse to look at the resurrection and ascension. Fine. That is your prerogative.

But do not accuse believers who live in light of the Lord Jesus Christ having been resurrected from the dead and having ascended up into heaven of whatever nonsense you have concocted due to your ignorance of Christ's resurrection and ascension.

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain [without purpose]; ye are yet in your sins.

 

[crossnote]

Is The Cross Of Christ The Most Important Part Of The Plan Of God?

The Virgin Birth, Christ's perfect obedience, His death, His resurrection, His Ascension, His present mediation, His return, His future reign...I wouldn't be pitting one over the other in the large scheme of things.

 

[JamOn]

Now let me say it again, because it is so very important:
If the Believer doesn’t understand the Cross of Christ, as it regards Sanctification, then, in some way, one or more of these “works of the flesh” are going to manifest themselves in his life. As stated, such is inevitable! The first four, “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness,” are obvious and easily understood. But the modern Christian quickly dismisses “idolatry, witchcraft, and heresies,” thinking they do not really apply today.

JSM

If there’s anyone who has experienced not understanding the cross of Christ would be jimmy, few years back I think it was him confessing adultery

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

If there’s anyone who has experienced not understanding the cross of Christ would be jimmy, few years back I think it was him confessing adultery

When Jesus restored Peter after being some what embarrassed, he said to Jesus, "what about him (referring to John), what is he going to do? Jesus replied, "Don't worry about him (mind your business), you follow Me! John 21:21-22

Notice, Jesus rebuked Peter. Keep your Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross of Calvary, and receive the help of the Holy Spirit that causes you to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh as you have just done by attending to the business of other Believers!

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Virgin Birth, Christ's perfect obedience, His death, His resurrection, His Ascension, His present mediation, His return, His future reign...I wouldn't be pitting one over the other in the large scheme of things.

Your Word for Today

"But we Preach Christ Crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:23-24).

The story of the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Every Sacrifice in the Bible points toward that coming event. The entirety of the Tabernacle and Temple, with all of its furnishings, ceremonies, and rituals, all and without exception, point to Christ in either His Atoning, Mediatorial, or Intercessory Work. In fact, the entirety of the Law pointed to Christ in some manner.

That’s why Paul said, “We preach Christ Crucified.”

He didn’t merely say, “We preach Christ,” but rather “We preach Christ Crucified.”

Many presently are preaching Christ, but, within itself, that is not enough.

Why isn’t it enough?

The Virgin Birth of Christ was an absolute necessity; however, had it stopped there, not one single soul would have been redeemed. The Perfect Life of Christ was an absolute necessity, but had it stopped there, not one single soul would have been redeemed. The healings and miracles were an absolute necessity, but had it stopped there, not one soul would have been redeemed.

Jesus had to go to the Cross. The Cross was ever His goal. Some 750 years before the fact, Christ said, “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them who plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.

“For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 50:6-7). His Face was set like flint for the Cross, meaning that He would not be deterred. The preaching of Christ Crucified is the Doctrine of the Atonement. It is the very heart of the Gospel. Remove that and there is no Gospel, but merely the ramblings of demented minds.

Why is Christ Crucified a stumbling block to the Jews?

The Jews knew that anyone who was hung on a tree for committing a dastardly crime was cursed by God (Deut. 21:22-23). Jesus was hung on a Cross. So in the mind of the Jews, He was cursed by God. Consequently, He could not be the Messiah, or so they thought. For how could one who was cursed by God be the Messiah?

Christ was, however, not cursed by God, but rather was made a curse, which is altogether different (Gal. 3:13). He had to be “made a curse” because He had committed no crime or sin of any nature — ever! The reason His death had to be on the Cross is because He had to pay for the very worst sins that could ever be imagined; He therefore had to die even as the worst sinner would die, but not because of any sin that He Himself had committed, because, as stated, He never committed any.

In effect, He actually became a “Sin Offering.” But all of this was a stumbling block to the Jews.

Regarding the Greeks, i.e., “Gentiles,” the idea of a naked man hanging on a wooden gibbet, thereby redeeming the entirety of mankind, was, in their thinking, “foolishness.” Those problems remain even unto this hour! But in spite of all that, if “Christ Crucified” is faithfully preached, whether to Jew or Gentile, to those who accept Christ, He becomes “the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God.”

No other Message will bring about these twin attributes. We must “preach Christ Crucified,” i.e., “Christ Crucified” must be the underlying foundation of all that we believe and preach.”’

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The believer is not "doomed for failure" when he/she lives in light of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven.

You refuse to look at the resurrection and ascension. Fine. That is your prerogative.

But do not accuse believers who live in light of the Lord Jesus Christ having been resurrected from the dead and having ascended up into heaven of whatever nonsense you have concocted due to your ignorance of Christ's resurrection and ascension.

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain [without purpose]; ye are yet in your sins.

You are twisting things to benefit you.

 

[Dino246]

You are twisting things to benefit you.

As Jimmy Swaggart did to benefit himself.

Get some integrity, and abandon his false teaching.

 

[Grandpa]

You are twisting things to benefit you.

You say you can't separate Christ from His Finished Work and yet you do just that!

1 Corinthians 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

The Resurrection is part of His Finished Work. If you exclude the Resurrection from Christs Finished Work then your faith (in whatever else...) is in vain. You are yet in your sins.

Abide in Christ. Or abide in the cross?

Come to Christ. Or come to the cross?

Faith in Christ. Or faith in the cross?


It is Christ that grows the fruit, not the cross.

It is Christ that gives rest, not the cross.

It is Christ that saves, not the cross.

 

[posthuman]

You are twisting things to benefit you.

Jesus came down from the cross to benefit us

 

[JamOn]

When Jesus restored Peter after being some what embarrassed, he said to Jesus, "what about him (referring to John), what is he going to do? Jesus replied, "Don't worry about him (mind your business), you follow Me! John 21:21-22

Notice, Jesus rebuked Peter. Keep your Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross of Calvary, and receive the help of the Holy Spirit that causes you to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh as you have just done by attending to the business of other Believers!

I don’t view those two as a jimmy john sandwich sorry, and scripture isn’t clear on who that was yes some say it was John but that is speculative. just saying jimmy swaggert has experience in not understanding the cross of Christ as it is put in the thread and might be the reason why he said it that way who knows.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

You are twisting things to benefit you.

MessageOfTheCross,

The believers posting in this thread have discussed the crucifixion of Christ, the resurrection of Christ from the dead, the ascension of Christ into heaven, the life of the believer in light of the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension.

In this thread alone, you have accused your brothers/sisters of:

- doing the same as Cain (Post #6)

- entering death (Post #10)

- entering the law of sin and death; walking away from God and entering death (Post #22)

- spiritual adultery; coming up with a new way ... called LAW; no longer abiding in Christ ... rotten! fruit (Post #32)

- changing God's prescribed order of victory; making a law; (Post #37)

- not placing their faith in Christ and walking according to the flesh; dismissing idolatry, witchcraft, and heresies (Post #40)

- walking in the flesh (Post #44)

- twisting things (Post #46)


These are fellow believers and you make accusations against them when all anyone has done is point to the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death through His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven.


Perhaps if you looked into what JSM teaches concerning the resurrection and the ascension, you would see that you actually agree with the believers who have posted in this thread.

If JSM has no teaching relating to the resurrection and the ascension, perhaps you could suggest that they look into that and teach so that you may come to a better understanding of exactly what God's Word teaches???

An even better suggestion would be that you follow the Lord Jesus Christ and hold Him in higher esteem than JSM.

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

What Jesus accomplished on the Cross has given the Holy Spirit the legal right to live in us, to help us. The Cross has given us access into the Most Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19 NIV). Every single blessing received by the Child of God comes through Calvary.

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."

Christians must start thinking Spiritually, which refers to the fact that everything is furnished to us through the Cross, and is obtained by Faith and not works. Many Christians say you put too much emphasis on the Cross. I remind you that the Apostle Paul said, "We preach Christ Crucified (1 Cor. 1:23). He also said, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Notice two subjects: Christ and the Cross. Why would the Apostle Paul say such a thing? Because that is the only way we receive victory over sin, the world, the flesh, and the Devil!

And he said to them all, If any man will come after Me (the criteria for Discipleship), let him deny himself (not asceticism as many think, but rather that one denies one's own willpower, self-will, strength, and ability, depending totally on Christ), and take up his cross (the benefits of the Cross, looking exclusively to what Jesus did there to meet our every need) daily (this is so important, our looking to the Cross; that we must renew our Faith in what Christ has done for us, even on a daily basis, for Satan will ever try to move us away from the Cross as the Object of our Faith, which always spells disaster), and follow Me (Christ can be followed only by the Believer looking to the Cross, understanding what it accomplished, and by that means alone [Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14; 8:1-2, 11; 1 Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 3:14-15]). Luke 9:23

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it (try to live one's life outside of Christ and the Cross): but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it (when we place our Faith entirely in Christ and the Cross, looking exclusively to Him, we have just found "more Abundant Life" [John 10:10]) Luke 9:24

As far as trying to do something as it concerns taking up the Cross daily, we are to do nothing. In fact, it was already done at Calvary some two thousand years ago. On a daily basis, we should reinforce our Faith in Christ and what He has done for us at the Cross (Rom. 6:3-5; 8:2, Gal. 2:20-21, Col. 2:10-15). This is the "Truth" which we must learn, act upon, and continue to act upon, which guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit.

We are not wrestling against flesh and blood. Satan has been defeated through the Cross. Principalities and powers have been spoiled (Col. 2:15). We are enforcing this victory through applying the Cross of Calvary to the pulling down strongholds by placing and maintain our Faith exclusively in Christ and the Finished Work at Calvary Cross where the victory was won, i.e., "The Blood of Jesus." Our source of Power is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace (Exodus 14:14). "In Justification, the Lord fights 'for' us, and in Sanctification, He fights 'in' us."

Two kinds of peace

1. Justifying Peace - This is Peace with God, a legal standing. Rom. 8:7; Eph. 2:14-15
2. Sanctifying Peace - This is the Peace of God in the heart. Rom. 8:6; 14:19; 15:13; Gal. 1:3

The first is the result of a legal standing. The second is the result of the Work of the Holy Spirit. The first is static, never fluctuates, the second changes almost from hour to hour. The first, every Christian has, the second, every Christian may have.

Sanctifying peace allows the Holy Spirit to deliver the Believer into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ so that the Life of Christ is manifested through the Believer by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 4:11, Gal. 2:20-21, Romans 8:2; 13, John 14:21). We must remember, it is His Life (Christ) that brings the victory, and not ours.

JSM

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The criterion is faithfulness and not other things (Matthew 25:23). The Foundation of our belief system must be Christ and Him Crucified (Gal 6:14). The Holy Spirit mortifies the deeds of the flesh which transforms us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:13); For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)

"21 Not every one who says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (the repetition of the word “Lord” expresses astonishment, as if to say: “Are we to be disowned?”); but he who does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven (what is the Will of the Father? Verse 23 tells us).

22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not Prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works? (These things are not the criteria, but rather Faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross [Eph. 2:8-9, 13-18]. The Word of God alone is to be the judge of doctrine.)

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (again we say, the criteria alone is Christ and Him Crucified [I Cor. 1:23]): depart from Me, you who work iniquity (we have access to God only through Christ, and access to Christ only through the Cross, and access to the Cross only through a denial of self [Lk. 9:23]; any other Message is Judged by God as "iniquity," and cannot be a part of Christ (1 Cor. 1:17)." Matthew 7:21-23

JSM

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

What reactivates the sin nature in the life of the Christian?

Acts of sin will turn into practicing sinning (the works of the flesh Gal. 5:19-21) when the Believer Faith is not placed exclusively in Christ and the Cross, i.e., "The Finished Work," i.e., "The Blood of Jesus."

God does not give victory to the flesh. All victory is in Jesus Christ; all victory is in Who He Is and What He accomplished for us at Calvary. Those who are proclaiming Jesus, but forsaking the Cross are wrestling with God. They are trying to bring about victory other than by the "Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus-God's prescribed order of victory over sin, the world, the flesh, and the Devil (Rom. 8:2)."

This is why God (Jehovah, i.e., "a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ") touched the hollow of Jacob thigh (type of the flesh). We learn from this, "Jacob the heel catcher," went from wrestling to clinging, (the flesh is now crippled) depending on God's blessing(s). The sentence of death must be written on the flesh-the power of the Cross must be entered into before we can steadily walk with God.

Remember, if you leave the Cross, you walk away from God! Most Christians have left their First Love. They are proclaiming Jesus, but forsaking the Cross (lukewarm-The Law of sin and death). This is called "Spiritual Adultery (Rom. 7:1-4)." If it continues, the scripture says the light is removed! Revelation 2:1-7; Revelation 3:14-19

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).

...have no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3)

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The scripture says that the inward man is renewed day by day (is renewed by denying self and tasking up the Cross daily [2 Cor. 4:16; Lk. 9:23-24]). This is not a act of labor but an act of Faith, by placing and maintaining our Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross daily. [Gal. 2:20-21].

The sin nature has been separated, not eliminated in a Christian life. This evil nature is always present in our current bodies. Victory only comes by Faith in Christ and the Cross. We must acknowledge that we need the GRACE of God to overcome the sins we repeat. The operation of the Holy Spirit is accomplished through Faith and Grace.

Every failure in a Christian life is caused by us resulting to the flesh and trying to do what needs to be done by the means of the flesh, which is guaranteed to fail. When the Believer attempts to function outside of the Cross, the situation becomes impossible. Sin and failure are the constant results, no matter how hard one may try otherwise.

Sanctification is not automatic. We enter into sanctification by the Believers Faith placed and maintained exclusively in Christ [Who He Is] and the Cross of Calvary where the victory was won [what He has done] (Hebrews 11:6). This is called the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus - Romans 8:2. This allows the Holy Spirit to baptize the Believer into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, so that the life of Christ is manifested through the power of the Holy Spirit in the Believers life [it is His life that brings the victory - not ours] Matthew 5:8, John 1:12, John 14:21, Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 2:20-21, 2 Corinthians 4:11

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Sanctifying peace allows the Holy Spirit to deliver the Believer into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, so that the life of Christ is manifested and lived through the Believer by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a living sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to God (Matthew 5:8; John 14:21; Romans 8:2, 13; 2 Corinthians 4:11; Galatians 2:20-21).

The majority of Christians know nothing about the Cross of Christ for sanctification. Justification delivers us from the penalty of sin, while sanctification delivers us from the power of sin. The Cross of Christ is as necessary for sanctification as it is for salvation (1 Cor. 1:18).

The sin nature is a result of the Fall. When the believing sinner comes to Christ, the sin nature is made ineffective (Rom. 6:6). It will remain ineffective if the believer maintains unceasing Faith in Christ and the Cross (Rom. 6:1-14). If the believer ceases to look to Christ and the Cross, but rather makes something else the object of his faith—no matter how good the something else might be—the Holy Spirit will not function in such an atmosphere. He demands exclusively that our Faith be in Christ and the Cross (Rom. 8:1-2,11). If faith is moved to something else, the believer will find himself once again being ruled by the sin nature. That's why Paul said, "Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (the sin nature): but yield yourselves unto God (which refers to God's Way, which is Christ and the Cross)" (Rom. 6:3-5, 13). Otherwise, the sin nature will rule the believer.

We submit to God by the Plan He has provided, which is the Cross. We resist the Devil by strictly looking to Christ, and what He has done for us at the Cross, where Satan was totally defeated (Colossians 2:14-15).

Everything we receive from the Lord, including Sanctification, is a work of Grace. Grace is simply the Goodness of God extended to undeserving people. the whole process is by Faith, as the whole process can only be by Faith.

JSM

 

[crossnote]

"But we Preach Christ Crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:23-24).

The context there is about preaching the message of the Cross. v18 and the power and wisdom of God in that message. Paul had many more things to tell us than the message of the cross. Even 1Cor 15:1-4 reveals that in a nutshell.

The Virgin Birth of Christ was an absolute necessity; however, had it stopped there, not one single soul would have been redeemed.

Yet if it hadn't happened we would not have had a sinless savior, (hence, no savior at all).

The Perfect Life of Christ was an absolute necessity, but had it stopped there, not one single soul would have been redeemed.

Had it stopped there, even if they were redeemed, we would quickly come back under the same condemnation we were under before redemption lacking the imputation of Christ's righteousness. (There would be no righteousness to impute to our account).

Why is Christ Crucified a stumbling block to the Jews?

The Jews knew that anyone who was hung on a tree for committing a dastardly crime was cursed by God (Deut. 21:22-23). Jesus was hung on a Cross. So in the mind of the Jews, He was cursed by God. Consequently, He could not be the Messiah, or so they thought. For how could one who was cursed by God be the Messiah?

There was more to Christ hanging on the cross that was a stumbling block to the Jews such as...
Him being equal to God the Father Jn 10:30-31,
Him being our righteousness apart from the works of the law Rom 9:32-33
His resurrection Acts 4:2 Acts 23:6 etc.

Again I wouldn't pit these cardinal doctrines about Christ against each other in order to exalt one over the other lest you become imbalanced.

 

[Dino246]

Most Christians have left their First Love.

Well, you certainly have.

You don't know "most Christians". You don't even know the people who contribute here. You merely parrot Jimmy Swaggart Ministries hogwash and condemn believers for whom Christ died. You're an accuser of the brethren, and it's high time you were banned.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

What Jesus accomplished on the Cross has given the Holy Spirit the legal right to live in us, to help us.

The Holy Spirit could not come until after Jesus ascended up into heaven. Before He ascended, He was resurrected from the dead. Before He was resurrected, He was crucified.

No one disagrees that we come to Jesus at the cross.

The Cross has given us access into the Most Holy Place by the Blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19 NIV). Every single blessing received by the Child of God comes through Calvary.

What we read in Hebrews 10 concerning our entering into the holiest is:

Hebrews 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh

We enter in the blood through the flesh.

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."

God does not look at the believer who lives in light of the resurrection and ascension as "worldliness". Nor does God see the believer living in light of the resurrection and ascension as maintaining "friendship with the world". Nor does the believer living in light of the resurrection and ascension become an "enemy of God".


Have you looked to see what JSM teaches concerning the resurrection and the ascension? The cross is only the beginning ...


Philippians 2:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself [humbled = became low; humiliated], and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore [on account of Jesus having humbled Himself on the cross] God also hath highly exalted him [elevated; made exceedingly high] and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

At the cross, Jesus is brought low.
In the resurrection and ascension, Jesus is highly exalted, elevated, made exceedingly high.


Isn't there any teaching at JSM which acknowledges the resurrection and ascension as the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this life but also in that which is to come?

 

[LordsHandmaiden]

I do not judge YOU MOTC!

I will say to YOU however you need to make your relationship with Jesus a PERSONAL one!

If all you have is this man of flesh to repeat after then you have NO substance and I will NOT Be bothered by you any longer!

Peace out! And ignored!