Roger's Reflections 4

I have previously mentioned my motto text, which has been the foundation of my gospel preaching.  What a verse it is.  The great apostle Paul who knew the law, languages, philosophy and culture said all these things were of no consequence compared with ‘Christ and Him crucified’.  He goes so far as to say ‘I determined to know nothing among you except Christ and Him crucified’.  Note:

There is a definite Christ.  People who can’t beat Jesus have tried to pinch Him and make Him their own.  So we have had Jesus as ‘the first Communist’, ‘the LGBT Christ’ and the liberal theologians’ wishy washy ‘woke’ Christ.  But He is the Christ of whom all the Scriptures speak, fully God/fully human, who came to seek and save the lost, laying down His life for us.

There is a definite cross.  When Jesus suffered and died on the cross He took on Himself the sin of the world.  All that cuts us off from the holy God was laid on Jesus who was made sin for us.  As Jesus hung on that cross, in such awful agony, the justice of God, the holiness of God and love of God met together as Jesus paid the just penalty for our unholiness, and He did so because He loves us so much.

There is a definite conclusion.  Paul determined that the crucified, and of course, risen Jesus was going to be His message. He would proclaim the Person of Jesus and His great work of dying for us. He knew that there is no other way whereby we could know forgiveness, and be reconciled to God.  Only He can give us the passport and ticket to heaven.  For heaven is not a reward for doing good, but a gift purchased by Jesus, offered to us, and can be received through trusting in Him.