Forthright Magazine http://www.forthright.net Straight to the Cross COLUMN: Square One Understanding the Cross of Christ (Part One) by Richard Mansel "The cross of Christ is a symbol of God's heartbreak over a world gone astray." All men need the gospel which is ultimately the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is the central event in the history of the world. One man's suffering parted the waves of history. Christ gave his life so that we could be forgiven of our sins. Christ became the bearer of our sins. As Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years earlier, "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers," and "for the transgression of my people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked" (Isaiah 53:7,8, NKJV). An innocent man, condemned to death for our sins. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all," 1 John 1:6 says. Then 1 John 1:7 adds, "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Sin is represented in Scripture as darkness. That is why Matthew 27:45 says, "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." Darkness represented the vile, evil sins placed upon his shoulders (Galatians 3:10- 14). Jesus then breathed his last, and the worst sin of all mankind spread across the land. The lessons we learn from the cross are powerful. First, the cross reveals our sins. Acts 2:23 says, "Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death." Isaiah 53:6 says, "And the Lord, has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Second, the cross reveals the love of God. Imagine driving with your daughter in a rural area. You stop in front of a deserted building to make a phone call. Suddenly, a man wrenches open your passenger door and demands to have your car. Frozen with fear you pause. The angry man grabs your daughter and shoots her before your eyes. Tossing her aside, he curses and points the gun at your head. Trembling, you flee from your car. Weeks later, the man is captured and sentenced to death for his horrific crimes. Yet before the execution could take place, you insist on being executed in his place. This sobering scenario helps us grasp the true meaning of Paul's words, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). Maybe we have not given enough thought to the fact that an innocent man died a brutal death in our place. The blessings of God are poured out onto all men and women. Peter writes that "He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Yet stop and think of all the ungrateful, unkind people who ignore his sacrifice. What if you saved someone's life and instead of being grateful, they hated the very sight of you? If so, we would know how Christ's heart breaks daily. The cross should move us to realize the enormity of our sins. If we have not been to God, then the blood of his Son is still on our hands. The cross of Christ is our plea and our pardon. Paul wrote, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). ---- Read this article online, tell us what you think, see who's commenting, click here: http://forthright.antville.org/stories/910355/ ---- COLUMN: Reality Check Asleep in Jesus? by Stan Mitchell "Seated in the window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story, and was picked up dead" (Acts 20:9). You have heard the joke. A man falls asleep during the sermon. The preacher spies him, and addresses his neighbor. "Can you reach over and wake brother so and so up?" The punch line follows: "Preacher, you put him to sleep. You wake him up!" I'm sorry. I never liked that joke. And I don't think it's because I lack a sense of humor. I think Jesus used humor to get his points across, and as long as it's appropriate, I think a preacher can do it effectively today, too. Can you imagine a man attempting eye surgery with a beam in his own eye? Can you imagine a punctilious housewife straining a gnat out of her soup -- and swallowing a camel? What I don't like about the joke is that it blames the wrong person. It's like saying that an assaulted woman was guilty because she was running at night or the victim of a robbery was guilty because he left his car window open. Perhaps he was unwise, but the thief was the one who was guilty! And I don't really mind (much!) if someone is having a hard time staying awake on a given Sunday morning. You know what I mean -- when he dozes for a moment, then wakes up guiltily, and does his best to stay the course. Get more sleep next Saturday night, but trust me, I understand. But what I don't understand is the person who outright "crashes" in worship, making no pretence that he despises proceedings. It's not just a rebuke to the preacher, it shows a lack of respect for God himself! If you are a child of God, ask yourself, is this the way you should act in God's very presence? What if the Lord were to come and speak to us directly, would we pay attention? If the preacher uses God's word, is there a difference? Parents, I ask it in all kindness, observe your child in worship. If he or she is not demonstrating proper respect for the Lord, it's your responsibility to teach them, by word and example how to do it properly. Your leadership might also be needed with regard to bedtime on Saturday nights. If need be, cancel other activities in order to do the most important thing you will do all week –- worship God! I say this in love. If we do not show proper respect for God, worse things than falling out a window may happen to us! ---- Read this article online, tell us what you think, see who's commenting, click here: http://forthright.antville.org/stories/893543/ ---- You can help us get the word out. Here's how: http://forthright.antville.org/stories/340415/