EFFICACY OF THE CROSS
The cross is the provenance or earthly place of origin for every Christian. It was from the cross that the Christian journey began. The apostles were first called Christians in Antioch, this was after the events of the cross (Acts11:26). Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary for the sin of mankind. He bore all our sins through shedding of his blood to reconcile man back with God. Man became separated from God immediately Adam and Eve broke the spiritual code of conduct established at the garden of Eden. God had to strategise a means of propitiation between him and man. The blood of animals was employed but it was still not valid enough – disparity in spiritual values. Man was worth more than animals in the heavenly realms. The blood of animals had expiration value – God desired an eternal solution to sin. Sin was ravaging humanity exponentially – like a spiritual terminal illness without cure.
Man’s enemy, the devil was chiefly in the business of oppressing man. The devil’s aim was to take as many souls as possible with him to hell. He loitered around the Earth, alongside his demons looking for whom to devour. Sin was the ordinance of the devil over man and God urgently needed to destroy the power of sin. Blood was the only spiritual currency – with animals lacking eternal capacity in remission. There were two conditions to pay for sin of man. The blood of a man;a man without sin. Jesus was then called onstage- he was born of a virgin, without any carnal knowledge between man and woman. The power of God came upon virgin Mary and she conceived baby Jesus. Jesus grew like all men, passing through all stages of metamorphosis. Jesus lacked the capacity to sin – in him was the fullness of God. He was holy, righteous and perfect. Jesus was crucified upon the cross by Roman soldiers at Calvary. This was the demand of Jews, persuaded by their religious leaders; sponsored by the devil. The Jews murdered Jesus on varying non-justifiable accounts. Christ’s only offense was innocence.
The devil’s aim of seeing to Jesus’ death, was to end the miraculous works of Christ and, continue his demonic influence and oppression in the world. He was oblivious that God used him to reach victory over himself. The devil was in charge of his own loss by aiding God’s plan – He sponsored his own defeat. The miraculous was not Jesus’ end, it was just a means to the cross. Christ was born to die to reconcile man back to God -that man may be liberated from the spiritual Egypt to Canaan. The spiritual Canaan is a kingdom of hosannas and Hallelujahs; a place where worship and adoration of God never stops. Immediately Christ died , there was an alteration in the corrupted genome of man. Man became righteous and without blemish before God. The spiritual valuation had become balanced. The blood of Christ had an eternal sin remission capacity. Christ had paid the ultimate price for human redemption – nothing in Heaven or Earth could stop man from going to heaven. No allegation by the devil or even the Angels could justify the eternal damnation of any man. The soul of man had been liberated from the devil . He had lost the war – as himself was condemned to hell. No sin was beyond the remission capacity of the blood of Christ.
In Christ God forgave all sins. The role of the cross is that – Christianity journey began from there. The laws of Moses had been fulfilled , the cross nullifies the strangulating effect of the laws. Man didn’t need to know the letters written on stone by heart, all man had to do was believe in the power of God at work in Christ. The yoke of the Law was a burden – which only empowered sin and the devil’s hold over man. God expressed the fullness of his wisdom and power at the cross. It became incomprehensible to the devil how he lost out at the cross. The wisdom and power that translated man to Christ Kingdom remains an unsolvable mystery to the devil. He has therefore resolved to take as many along with him to Hell. The good news is that Christ has paid – the journey to Heaven is free. Jesus finished the works on the cross. He made a spoil of the devil at the cross – the cross was the access point to collecting the keys of death (Heb2:15). If there were no cross or messianic death – the priests might have run out of patience in offering sacrifices. The world and it’s modern animal protection rights would have been in chaos. Man would have his life dependent and working for purchasing of bulls, that his sin might be atoned. The messianic agenda was beyond the miraculous et al. It was reconciliation of man to God via the death of Jesus.
The cross liberates us from the burden of circumcision and other Jewish traditional demands. Man’s nationality is no more a subject of discourse in the reconciliation agenda. There is no longer Jew, Greek or gentile. There is only one nation after the cross – Christianity. Living the lifestyle of Jesus by faith in the power of God. This is the efficacy of the cross – that we are no longer perishing but we share inheritance in everything Christ owns. How great is the love of God who spared us estrangement from his kingdom by making us co-heirs with his son (Col1:13). We have the fullness of Christ, the mind of Christ, authority of Christ and through him the Holy Ghost lives in us. The capacity of Christ is now enriched in us – perfect, holy and righteous. Whatever can’t stop Christ won’t dare to restrain us. He has given us ability for greater spoils (John14:12). The cross preaches Grace and gives life. We have left the valley of “thou shall not” to the realms of faith through love (Gal5:6). We are now Christians – after the order of Christ. God sees Jesus when he looks at us, image of his beloved son. The devil sees the cross and his eternal damnation. The cross conquered the guy.
Our sins are forgiven.
We are no longer perishing.
Hallelujah!!!!
