Cross Shaped Living

From "10 Things We Would Stop Doing If We Adopted Paul’s Cross-Shaped Resolution" by David Burnette (referring to 1 Corinthians 2:2 - “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” )

1)   We would stop judging people, circumstances, and events based on outward appearances. Things aren't always as they appear. The God who brought about salvation through the death of His Son turns the world’s expectations upside down. (1 Cor 1:18-20) 

2)  We would stop trying to win God's approval through our obedience. Christ's death dealt decisively with our sins, and God now views us as righteous in Him. You cannot add to a perfect sacrifice. (Gal 2:21) 

3)   We would stop trusting in our own resources to bring about spiritual transformation. It took the crucifixion of Christ to save us, and it will take the power of the gospel to make us more like Jesus. The cross and resurrection are essential to the daily pursuit of holiness. (Rom 6:10-11) 

4)   We would stop worrying about being clever in our presentation of the gospel. Power belongs to God and His message, not the messenger. There is no smooth way to talk about a bloody cross. (1 Cor 1:17) 

5)  We would stop considering some people to be beyond God's reach. There is no one whose sin can outmatch the grace of God in the gospel. Christ's death is more than sufficient for the vilest offender. (1 Tim 1:16) 

6)  We would stop being surprised that our witness isn’t received warmly. At the heart of the gospel is the emphatic rejection of King Jesus. Why would his servants expect to be treated differently? (Jn 15:20) 

7)   We would stop expecting ease and comfort in this life to be the norm. Suffering, hardship, and opposition only make sense when you follow in the footsteps of the Man of Sorrows. (Lk 9:57-62) 

8)   We would stop worrying so much about the details our lives. God was willing to give His own Son for us. Why would he be unwilling to take care of everything else? (Rom 8:32) 

9)   We would stop thinking highly of ourselves and looking down on others. If the death of Christ was necessary for our rescue, what do we have to boast about? The cross levels the playing field, for all of us are debtors to God's infinite mercy. 

10)  We would stop fearing death. The crucifixion put death to death, so those in Christ now have the sure hope of the resurrection and eternal life. (Heb 2:14-15)

HT: Vitamin Z

On-line Boasting

Hat Tip: Tony Reinke

Kissing the Wave

C.H. Spurgeon on suffering:   "I have learned to kiss the wave that strikes me against the Rock of Ages."

Today, Oh Lord, I choose to kiss the wave. I chose to kiss the cross, a risk of a mouth full of splinters. May God be glorified in all I experience, good or bad, up or down.

Hat Tip:  Kiss the Wave - Joshua Harris:

Living at The Intersection Point

As a young man I attended several different evangelism programs - Campus Crusade, Navigators, Southern Baptist, etc. Many of them use some form of the "Bridge Illustration." A diagram of a chasm spanned by a cross is used to show that we are separated from God by sin, and that the Cross is the bridge over the chasm of sin that allows us to be reconciled to God. All of the above is true - thank God! However, it is also incomplete as a presentation of the Gospel.

The one major weakness to this illustration and metaphor is the unspoken implication that once we cross over the bridge we are done with the experience of the cross and therefore the cross is not relevant to daily Christin living.

I propose an expanded model - the Intersection Point. The cross is not just a bridge we cross over to get to salvation and to come into relationship with God. The cross is also the place we live existentially, moment by moment. The cross is the intersection point - the place where heaven meets earth and righteousness overcomes sin. The Cross of the Crucified and Resurrected One is the intersection point of reality, where righteousness overcomes sin, where the Divine is reconciled with the human, where heaven meets earth, where the future invades the present, where sin and guilt are absorbed and overcome by righteousness.

We should be constantly experiencing the great exchange - passing our guilt, shame, woundedness and hurt to Him and receiving back His grace , righteousness and healing. it’s the only place and the only way to live.

What are the practical implications for daily life?

• The only way to God is through the Cross of Christ- It is the only bridge over the chasm of sin.
• The Cross is not just for the penalty of sin but to also overcome the power of sin.
• The Cross is not just a message for unbelievers but also a message for believers.
• Jesus died once in history, but the benefit is timeless and eternal- experiential. No Mass or re-sacrifice
• In Christ we experience a great transference, the great exchange, not just once in new birth, but moment by moment.
• Like the Kingdom, the Cross is already but continuing and not yet.
• The Cross is not just a bridge we cross, but a bridge we live on.

The Weaker The Better

We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us (2 CO 4.7).

God is glorified amid human frailty. When Christ was crucified in weakness, God unleashed redemption on multitudes. The weaker you are, the better for God to display the gospel’s power through you.

From: The Blazing Center