When I was a child I had a difficult time understanding why God the Father would send His Son to die on a cross. We have all heard that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we know that the cross is probably one of the most agonizing ways to suffer and die. But knowing that God is God and He makes the rules why did He choose this method to reconcile people to Himself? In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1^st John 4:9-10)

      Now that I am a parent it does seem to me that giving a child is the greatest sacrifice and the greatest demonstration that God could give to show His love for us. A person is more likely to give up their own life than to give the life of their child. God gave us the ultimate gift and the ultimate demonstration of His love in sending His Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for our reconciliation with God.

      God wanted to give people a dramatic demonstration of His love for them. And not only that but He also wanted to give His children an example of the kind of love that He wants us to have for Him and for one another. The kind of love that is willing to give the most precious gift that we have. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:12-14) Walking in obedience to Jesus commands will take us on the path of the cross, dying to our self so that His life will be manifest in us.

      Jesus spoke of His crucifixion as also being His glorification. “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:23-25) Jesus gave us the perfect example of love in His life and death upon the earth. Our destiny as followers of Jesus Christ is to become glorified (Romans 8:29), which will also cost us our lives.

      Your life is the only thing that God cannot have unless you give it to Him. Your life is precious, and God gave you life so that you would have something very valuable to give to Him. But the giver is always more blessed than the receiver so when we give our life to Him we are blessed with a new life, a greater life, and an eternal life. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) 

      Many times when people accept Jesus Christ as their savior they do not fully give Him their whole life at that time, they hold part of it back. This will cause problems for the person and may even lead to them becoming double-minded. The Lord being patient will take such a person on a journey of the dying process so that they are able to come to the end of themselves and give their whole life to God. But one way or another we have to give up our life in order to have His life.

      Since we are in Christ when He died on the cross we died with Him and when He rose from the dead we rose with Him. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:4-6) 

      Spiritual maturity comes from denying our self and allowing Jesus Christ to live through us. But we can only achieve this kind of maturity by grace through faith. I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. (Galatians 2:20-21) 

      Faith comes by revelation. Faith happens when you hear a word from God and you realize that it applies to you personally. Faith is accomplished when your actions prove that you believe the word. Actions of faith prove that God’s grace is at work in your life. When a person comes into the revelation that Jesus died on the cross for him or her personally they accept God’s salvation. When a person comes into the revelation that they were crucified with Christ on the cross they will walk in the grace of being able to give their life fully to Christ. When a person comes into the revelation that they rose from the dead with Christ then they will walk in the Spiritual maturity and power of the resurrected Christ.

      You are one of the people that Jesus suffered and died for in order to demonstrate His love for you. The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are physically minded but for us who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit we know it is part of God’s perfect plan. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." (1 Corinthians 1:18-19) 

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:14-16) 

I pray that today you will come into a greater revelation of the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection to you and your life. If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord of your life or if you want to recommit yourself to Him then go to the New Life Page and learn more about receiving the gift of salvation that Jesus purchased for you.

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