Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 1:17
What exactly does it mean to preach the cross of Christ? Are youaware of the fact that Christ dying on a cross represents an examplefor us as a believer? It was the apostle Peter that said these words asstated in I Peter 2:21-22 saying, "For even hereunto were ye called:because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that yeshould follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in hismouth." What Christ did when he died on that cross was to provide a waythat we could be saved from the power and influence of sin in our life.All that Christ did for us is an example for us to accomplish in ourown life. Why do you think Christ tells us these words as stated inMatthew 10:38 that says, "And he that taketh not his cross, andfolloweth after me, is not worthy of me." As Christ suffered and wasput to death on a cross we too must be put to death on a cross as well,but the cross we must be crucified on is a spiritual cross. Christ wasput to physical death on a literal cross, but we are to be put to deathspiritually on a spiritual cross, which is death to our old sinfulcarnal nature to be raised again to walk in newness of life. As Christwas raised again from physical death, we must be raised again from ourspiritually "dead in sin state" as Paul refers to in Ephesians 2:1 thatsays, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses andsins." Being dead in sin means we are totally helpless and powerlessagainst the power and influence of sin and so therefore we must beraised from this dead state or else we will die in our sins and beeternally lost.
You may ask, "When and how are we raised from our dead in sinstate?" To be quickened from a dead state of sin happens the verymoment that the Spirit of Christ comes into our heart. Let the apostlePeter prove this in what he reveals in Acts 15:7-9 that says, "And whenthere had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Menand brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice amongus, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel,and believe. "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; "And put nodifference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." It'sthe heart of man that must be changed before he can begin to walk in anentirely different way of life. Looking at the sad condition of theconfessing Christian world today will reveal the fact that they arestill dead in their trespasses and sins and the reason why this is trueis simply because they have not truly received Christ into their heartand life as they think and believe. And why have not received Christinto their heart? Before we answer this question let us look what theapostle Paul tells us as stated in Romans 8:8-9 that says, "So thenthey that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in theflesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." It'sclear to see that if we do not possess the Spirit of Christ within ourvery being, then we are definitely none of his as Paul tells us here.Why is the confessing Christian world today in the sinful conditionthat we find it in? And why do confessing Christians yet callthemselves sinners confessing to be saved and or born again, as well asbeing a Christian themselves? The word "Christian" means Christ-like,but are they like Christ still living in and committing sin? No theyare not, even though they confess to be, but actions always speaks muchlouder than the mouth as we all very well know. Why then do they yetconfess to be sinners living in and committing sin? It's simply becausethey are totally void of possessing Christ in their heart that wouldhave changed their heart by purifying it by faith as Peter tells us inActs 15:9. And why are they totally void of Christ being in theirheart? It's simply because they did not receive Christ in their heartin the way they claimed to have received him. All they did was tomerely ask or invite Christ in their heart, but this absolutely is nothow Christ is received, which can be clearly proven by the fact thatthey still call themselves sinners living in and committing sin. Theirheart has not been changed whatsoever, but yet they claim to be savedand or born again. Christianity today has what I call "heart trouble"meaning they need a new heart or else they are going to die in theirsinful state and suffer the consequences of the second death in thelake of fire. It was Jeremiah the prophet that tells us these wordsstated in Jeremiah 17:9 that says, "The heart is deceitful above allthings, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" God knows the heartand is the only one that can do anything about it's wicked and sinfulcondition.
It's Almighty God himself that can only give us a new heart and weare not talking about the physical heart within us that pumps the bloodthroughout our body to sustain our physical life. The spiritual heartof man is his most inner being that only God can perform a spiritualoperation on so that we can know him as he desires us to do. It wasagain the prophet Jeremiah that said these words stated in Jeremiah24:7 that says, "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I amthe LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: forthey shall return unto me with their whole heart." And listen if youwill to what the prophet Ezekiel says in Ezekiel 11:19-20 that says,"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit withinyou; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will givethem an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keepmine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I willbe their God." Until the heart is miraculously changed the sinner willgo right on being prone to the sins and wickedness of their own heartand will live a sinful life of rebellion against God. There is but oneway to truly receive the Spirit of Christ in your heart, and this wayis revealed in Revelation 3:20 that says, "Behold, I stand at the door,and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
We must hear his voice, which is his word, and open our hearts doorto that truth and then will Christ come into our heart and he will supwith us and we with him. What then is the word that we must hear forChrist to come into our heart? It was revealed on the day of Pentecostafter the Holy Spirit descended and could then be received as thepromised gift that Peter mentions to them. Those Jews asked Peter whatthey must do, as stated in Acts 2:37 and Peter told them these words inActs 2:38 that says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and bebaptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissionof sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Notice thatPeter clearly tells them to first repent and then be baptized in thename of Jesus Christ, which is for the remission of sins. Then Petertold them that they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. If youbelieve that God cannot lie, then you should be able to see that beforeGod will give us his Spirit, then it's very necessary that we mustfirst do what Peter tells us to do. So we must first repent and bebaptized and then God is bound by his word to give the Holy Spirit ashe promised. God will not impart his Spirit to us if we do not do whathe tells us to do. When obedience has been done by the believer as Goddemanded, then it stands to reason that God being no liar willdefinitely keep his promise and impart his Spirit to that certainbeliever. Let the apostle Peter tell us what will happen when theSpirit comes into the believers heart, which is stated in Acts 15:8-9that says, "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put nodifference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."
Do you see how the heart is purified of all it's sin and wickednesswhen the Spirit took up his abode in the heart as Peter reveals here?The deceived confessing Christians today has been taught just to acceptChrist into their heart by a simple invitation and thereby make himtheir Lord and Savior of their life, but is there any wonder why theyare still steeped in sin and rebellion against God even as they confessto be saved and or born again? The Spirit of Christ did not come intotheir heart simply because they did not do as Peter said in Acts 2:38.Peter did not say here to just receive Christ as Lord and Savior as aninvitation, but rather he told them to repent and be baptized inChrist's name and then they would receive the promised gift of the HolySpirit. The true believer that obeys what Peter said will have hisheart purified from the evils of sin and wickedness, but this purifyingof the heart did not touch the sins that yet indwells both the fleshand spirit of that believer. What takes place next is the Spirit in theheart will begin to reveal truth to him that is revealed in all theteachings of Christ, which is his gospel. This leading of the Spiritinto the truth will in time baptize the believer into the body ofChrist (I Corinthians 12:13) where he will become a totally newcreature in Christ having his heart purified by faith, and belief andobedience to the many truths of the gospel will cleanse the filthinessof both the flesh and spirit and thereby perfect holiness in the fearof God as 2 Corinthians 7:1 reveals. The Spirit's leading into alltruth is what the baptism of the Spirit is and not a wild emotionalexperience speaking in some unintelligible language like many teachtoday.
Those who perish count the cross of Christ as down rightfoolishness, but to them that the cross has saved it is the power ofGod that has done the saving. Christ's death on the cross representsthe death of our sinful nature, which is accomplished as we walk in andbelieve and obey the many truths of Gods word. Many think that whenChrist died they died with him, and when Christ was buried they wereburied with him, and when he rose again they believe they rose with himto walk in a new life, but his death, burial, and resurrection, was anexample for us yet to accomplish. Paul proves this in what he said asstated in Romans 6:3-4 that says, "Know ye not, that so many of us aswere baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Thereforewe are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ wasraised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we alsoshould walk in newness of life." This baptism referred here is notwater baptism, but is the Spirit baptism into Christ where we become anentirely new creation in Christ progressively as the Spirit leads usinto the very truths of Gods word. This is clearly proven in what Paultells us in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that says, "For which cause we faintnot; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewedday by day." This is a progressive work and not an instant work likemost think and believe today. As our inner man is being renewed ourouter man is being crucified so that we can walk in newness of life inChrist Jesus. Amen