WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS?
We
lay special emphasis on the message of the Cross which is being relegated to
the background in the churches today. The message of the Cross pivots on
the teachings of Christ Jesus and His apostles under the New Testament. The
message of the Cross, in other words, means the message of the New Covenant.
The Devil, the old serpent, offers the fruit of the tree of the knowledge that
would open the eyes so that “ye shall be gods, knowing good and evil” and that
“was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise….”
(Gen.3:3-6). Those who have been deceived by the cunning devil preach
messages of the tree of the knowledge, quoting the Bible from one angle in the
same manner as the Devil quoted the Scriptures while tempting Jesus. Such
messages would make us arrogant, self-righteous, self-centered and covetous.
But, the message of the Cross would make us humble, righteous, selfless and
sacrificial. The message of the Cross mainly covers the following:
- Revival of the churches and their restoration to the early New
Testament pattern (Acts
- Ministry to the saints (Rom.12:13 &
(I Cor.12:12-27, Eph.2:16 ) - Not glorying in any thing or spiritual experiences except in the
Cross of the Lord Jesus (Gal.6:14)
- Witness to the world through the Christian discipleship by
self-denial, cross-bearing and following Jesus (Matt.16:24-2)
- Doing only the perfect God’s will in the ministry as Jesus did
(Jn.5:30,
- Persecution for His Cross (Gal.6:12)
- Loving the neighbour in the spirit of the
Good Samaritan (Luke
- Preserving the sanctity of the God-ordained marriage institution
By
relegating the message of the Cross, the churches end up in situations like the
following:
- The glory of the Cross which is of God and His Son is different and
separate from the glory of this world. The glory of the kingdoms of
the world was offered by the Devil to Jesus when He was tempted in the
wilderness (Matt.4:8). But, Jesus chose the glory of His Cross.
These days, the glory of His Cross is being replaced in the churches with
the glory of this world by the false prophets and teachers.
- Revival not breaking out
- Preaching superfluously on material prosperity and not on suffering or cross-bearing
- Preaching
only on love and grace and not on sin, righteousness and judgment
- Preparation of the Church for the second coming of Jesus with no
concern for evangelism
- Praise and worship services to God by the people whose heart is far
from God and with sin having dominion over their life
- Giving of tithes and offerings to the ministers with little concern
towards the suffering “neighbour” and the “poor
saints” of the House of God(Rom15:26)
- Ministry through the spiritual gifts without charity (I Cor.13)
- Service to the church without intercessory prayer and concern for
the lost souls
- Man-made reformation in the church without the dominion of the Holy
Spirit on the lives of its ministers
- Redundant scriptural knowledge with
no spiritual ears to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit from the Word
– “Knowledge puffeth……” (I Cor.8:1)
- Self-righteousness sans simplicity and humility
- Pride or spiritual arrogance
- Expectation of service from others without serving them
- Self-centeredness in place of Christ-centeredness
- Self-importance without honouring others
- Not producing disciples of Christ or ministers of God under the New
Testament ministry but simply producing the outer-court “believers” under
the Old Testament ministry or “Sunday Christians” and making them serve
the Old Testament Levitical priests
- Having fellowship with the members of the same denominational
church with little concern for the universal Body of Christ
- Feelings and personal experiences taking the place of the Word of God
·
Holiness by do’s and don’ts
without surrendering the body to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom.6: 13
& 12:1)
·
Contracting unscriptural marriage
alliances by divorcees during the life-time of their spouses divorced.