A Sure Pathway To Living An Overcoming Christian Life.
Bible Passage – 1 Cor 1:17-18; Heb 12:2; Rom 1:16; Matt 16:24-25
The Sayings of Jesus About The Cross – During & At The Cross
During the Cross
During and At The Cross would be seen as the time that they arrested Jesus, inquisition, the scourging, the judgement, handling over the cross to Jesus to carry, the crucifixion and when He died on the Cross.
1. The Depth of the Mercies and Forgiveness of God despite all that Judas had done and was doing, Jesus still calls him friend. What a Saviour truly and indeed. No wonder the scripture shouts – o how the depth and the riches of His mercies: Romans 8:39 | Romans 11:33
At that point if Judas had repented what would have happened. The woe could have been converted to mercy, do not write yourself off, do not let the enemy deceive you, that you are beyond redemption. It is only the dead that is beyond redemption.
This is critical in our relationship personally with the Lord. This is essentially in encourage and leading back the backslider. It is important in preaching and minister action of salvation to the unconverted. Matthew 26:47-50. The patient and the long suffering of the Lord with the sinner and one gone astray.
Even the death of Jesus would not have come without the separation. It was the separation not the pains that were the final straw or payment. The separation was necessary before the death could be a real atonement. Remember – the eyes of the Lord could not behold iniquity. Habakkuk 1:13 | Matthew 27:46 | Mark 15:34
2. What a wonderful God we serve. The depth of His forgiveness comes out of the unsearchable depth of His love IN SUFFERING
LOVING IS NOT A BED OF ROSES LOVING IS NOT NECESSARILY ENJOYABLE MUST BE SATISFYING AND PRODUCTIVE
Luke 23:34 | Luke 23:34-38
Our God is not a man. He is a strange and holy God. That is why there is none holy as our God.
He forgave all that were involved in crucifying Him. He prayed for them.
That is the Cross- at the cross there is and cannot be unforgiveness. What more can man do to you than was meted out to Jesus at the Cross.
There is no strength to hold a grudge or unforgiveness at the cross.
At the cross the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.
At the cross it is not about you, but about you in the hands of the Master.
There is only one place of moulding us – at the Cross.
You can only become clay and remain clay at the cross of Jesus outside you are like a stone and with a stony heart
3. The Cross Is The Potter’s House Isa 64:8 | Jer 18:1-6
The Cross is the house of the potter’s house, the potter’s meal, the potter’s moulding place:
Remember the Song – The Potter Wants To Put You Back Again?
In case you have fallen by the wayside of life
dreams and visions shattered, you’re all broken inside
you don’t have to stay in the shape that you’re in
the potter wants to put you back together again
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again
In case your situation has turned upside down
And all that you’ve accomplished, is now on the ground
You don’t have to stay in the shape that you’re in
The potter wants to put you back together again
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again
You who are broken, stop by the potter’s house
You who need mending, stop by the potter’s house
Give Him the fragments of your broken life
My friend, the potter wants to put you back together again
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again
You who are broken, stop by (wont’ you stop on by?) the potter’s house (stop on by the potter’s house)
You who need mending (if your heart needs mending, come on by) stop by the potter’s house (the potter’s house)
Give Him the fragments of your broken life
My friend, the potter wants to put you back together again (how many of you believe that?)
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again (one more time, come on)
You who are broken, stop by (stop on by) the potter’s house (the potter’s house)
You who need mending, stop by the potter’s house (if your broken heart needs mending, stop on by Jesus’ house)
Give Him the fragments of your broken life
My friend, the potter wants to put you back together again
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again
Joy in the potter’s house (he’ll give you joy, yes he will) joy in the potter’s house
love in the potter’s house
love in the potter’s house
there is salvation in the potter’s house
There is healing in the potter’s house
You’ll find everything you need in the potter’s house
You’ll find everything you need in the potter’s house
You’ll find everything you need in the potter’s house
You’ll find everything you need in the potter’s house
Because the potter wants to put you back together again
Oh, the potter wants to put you back together again
4. There was an atmosphere of great forgiveness readily available at the Cross
He put back the life and destiny of that thief, that robber again for eternity at the Cross -Luke 23: 39-43
What are the riches of forgiveness for the one forgiven and the one who forgives.
It is another realm of Christianity to live in forgiving others – it is the height and depth of the manifestation of the fruit of the spirit.
This forgiveness we are called to is the life of the fruit of the spirit – Gal 5:22-23 | Matthew 5:3-12
5. It is staying and living at the cross that we become salt and light – Matthew 5:13-16
CONCLUSION
It is only these categories that can be salt and light.
