The Explanation of the Cross

“For the preaching of the cross … is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

“But, brethren, if I still preach circumcision [as some accuse me of doing, as necessary to salvation], why am I still suffering persecution? In that case the cross has ceased to be a stumbling block and is made meaningless (done away)” (Galatians 5:11).

In other words, natural circumcision—defined as “the surgical removal of the foreskin, the tissue covering the head(glans) of the penis”—is no longer preached; in its place is the circumcision of the heart—which is only accomplished by the power of the cross applied. But natural circumcision removes actual flesh, whereas supernatural circumcision removes merely the works of the flesh. Indeed, “When you came to Christ, you were ‘circumcised,’ but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature” (Colossians 2:11).

Thus, when Paul says that by “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ … the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:4)—“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16)—he is, by that crucifixion/circumcision, removing the influence of his body of death/sinful nature away from his clean and redeemed spirit. This is THE EXPLANATION OF THE CROSS.

When Paul bemoaned the destiny of those who made themselves enemies of the cross of Christ—“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19)—he saw in their enmity, a throwing off of the only means by which they could be transformed into the Lord’s image and made ready for spirituality and heaven. Ultimately, those who avoid the cross are those who forsake their lives. As is written, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy” (Jonah 2:8).

T. Austin-Sparks explained things well when he wrote, “Here is THE EXPLANATION OF THE CROSS of our Lord Jesus and the crucifixion of the old man and all that is related thereto. The explanation is just this, that that Cross represents the bringing to an end, or winding up of what is less than God intended. For things were pulled down to a lower level than God intended. There came in divisions, alienation, circumscribing of man and of things, limiting God and His purpose for man in the world, and the Cross represents the undoing of all that.”

Austin-Sparks went on to say, “The resurrection speaks of emancipation into the limitless—into the universal … The resurrection represents universality because it brings you into spiritual realities—delivered from the flesh and brought into the spirit, delivered from what is of man and brought into what is of God … We have lost every form of limitation … We are now set free and brought into the kingdom of heaven’s emancipation on resurrection ground. Under the anointing of the Spirit we are brought into the universality of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is THE EXPLANATION OF THE CROSS.”

Forsaking All Others

Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house; then the King will desire your beauty.  because he is your Lord, bow down to him” (Psalm 45:10-11).

“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1). 

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

A traditional wedding vow: “Will you love and comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, in sickness and in health, and FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, keep yourself only unto her/him as long as you both shall live?”

John Bunyan, in “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” outlines—through the experiences of his main character, “Christian”—the believer’s journey, with all its pitfalls and obstacles, from the initial salvation experience here on earth to the end of the race in heaven.  Here is an excerpt:

“So I saw in my Dream that the Man [later named Christian] began to run.  Now he had not run far from his own door, but his Wife and Children, perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the Man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, Life!  Life!  Eternal Life!  So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the Plain … The neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return.”

The Man (Christian) perceived the Celestial City (heaven), and also, he discerned and determined that nothing would deter him, not even family and friends, from escaping this world of corruption for it. He understood intuitively that it required FORSAKING ALL OTHERS in order to fully devote himself to finish the race.  Many obstacles—of which his family and friends constituted the fiercest obstacle—had to be overcome in order to achieve heaven.

 

Faith, which is the fundamental trait of devotion, is the glue which makes us one with our Bridegroom.  Every genuine Christian must FORSAKE ALL OTHERS and keep one’s self only for Jesus.  Even if faithlessness occasionally slays you, our precious Bridegroom promises to restore purity of devotion.  Indeed, God declares, “I will heal your faithlessness” (Jeremiah 3:22); also, “I will heal their apostasy and faithlessness [their backslidings]; I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4).

From all peoples that ever existed and will exist, God draws out “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) to bear His name in snow-white purity.  These constitute the bride of Christ.  Doubtless, they are those who FORSOOK ALL OTHERS!  They came out as Abram did; they too hated the natural tie in respect to the heavenly tie.  They came out and off of the natural ground or premise of life to the supernatural ground or premise of everlasting life.  They, like Abram, came out to a place where God spoke to them unmolested by the insistent urge to devote themselves to ethnic, familial or national influence.  They perceived by spiritual perception that natural birth is foundationless; like Abram, they found themselves “Looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).