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About-Him.Com Devotional 08-08-2009
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I Will Glory In Nothing, But The Cross

 Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.  

Much of Paul’s writings in the book of Galatians deals with those who were trying to mix the teachings of Christianity with the ceremonies of the law. Judaism had come to be accepted by the pagan religions. Their synagogues were often built adjoining pagan temples.  They weren’t a threat to anybody. Their God was considered to be just another god in a vast collection of other gods. In other words, “You serve yours and I’ll serve mine. You don’t get too pushy about your beliefs and we’ll all coexistence together. Seems like that attitude is still with us today, eh”? Quite a contrast to the apostles, who after being forbidden to speak the name of Jesus, proclaiming that they could only speak of what they had seen and heard (Acts 4: 18-20).  

Paul states in Gal. 6:12-13 that those who were forcing believers to be circumcised were doing so to make a show in the flesh, so that they might escape the inevitable persecution (Luke 12:11) that comes to anyone who preaches the supremacy of the cross. The effect of such teaching was to equate the dead ritual of circumcision with the power of the cross.  Circumcision is not a big issue today, but what other rituals and practices do we use today as a substitute for the power of the cross? Quite a few, I’d say?  

The cross was in conflict with the pagan religions because it promoted the idea of a self-sacrificing God who freely gave everything that He had when He went to the cross on our behalf, and He expects us to do the same for each other (John 15:12-13; I John 3:13,23, 4:11,).  

Paul makes it quite clear that he would glory in nothing except the cross of Christ.  Because of the cross, he considered himself to be dead to the world and the world dead to him. No coexistence there, only mutual disdain. He had no use for the world and the world had no use for him. Once we make a sincere confession of faith in Christ, the hatred of the world towards us becomes quite evident. We don’t have to sound a horn or beat a drum to show that we are different, our thoughts, speech, actions and reactions, which are now those of Jesus, will give us away. They hated Him without a cause, and we are no better than our Master. If they persecuted Him, they will persecute us also (John 15:20).  

Even if one tries to play it cool and fit in with the crowd, they bear a mark that they cannot hide.  They can be setting on a bar stool trying to fit in, but all the world sees is that mark that says, BELIEVER! They themselves can never be comfortable, because above the roar and din of the crowd, they hear the still small voice of the Lord, saying, “Come home, you don’t belong here.”  That’s similar to Peter trying to warm his hands by the enemie’s fire.  (Mt. 26:73; John 18;18). It didn’t work for him because his speech gave him away, and it won’t work for us either. Likewise, I don’t believe the world is impressed with a church, that in an effort to appeal to the masses, adapts the style and methods of the world, thus  diminishing the power and effectiveness of the cross.  

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is his death, burial and resurrection, all of which are incorporated in the cross. It is in the cross that we began to realize the vastness of the righteousness of God and we grow in this righteousness as we walk in our new faith.  

Romans 1:16 ¶  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  


I will cling to the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it someday for a crown
 

We cling to that old rugged cross, because it and it alone allows us to be partakers of the power of God that gives us salvation. When we heard the gospel, we were quickened to faith, obedience and repentance. When we heard and obeyed the gospel, we were made alive with Christ. We were crucified with him in repentance  and raised to a newness of life by our water baptism in  His name and recipients of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-39). We were delivered form the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1;13). We were now totally free from the  ordinances of the  law, and any demon power of hell that would hinder us, because Jesus rendered them powerless and triumphed over them by the power of His cross (Rom. 6:3-6; Col 2;11-15).  

When we bowed to the cross, our values changed. The things we once loved, we now hate, and the things we once hated, we gladly embrace. We count everything of our old life as refuge, that we might attain to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord (Php. 3:7-8). We were crucified with Him and now our affections are in heavenly places, where our risen Savior sits on the throne of heaven with all of the fullness of God dwelling in Him bodily (Col. 1:19,2:9, 3:1-3). Do we realize our place and privilege in Him?  

Galatians  2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  


We don’t know anything except Jesus and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2), and having crucified our flesh with it’s affections and lust (Gal. 5:24), I’m sure that the world considers us to be rather odd.  That’s as it should be. If they think too highly of us, we have a problem (Luke 6:26).  
 
Somebody Has Said
Today Jesus Christ is being dispatched as the Figurehead of a Religion, a mere example. He is that, but he is infinitely more; He is salvation itself, He is the Gospel of God. --Oswald Chambers  

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Don and Marie Spooner
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