Title: The Cross of Power
Contents
Gal 6:14 The cross of power
The cross is a cruel form of execution for evil sinners in Roman times. But the heart of Christianity is this cross. That is why the cross is placed in a very visible place in each church. But there are many misconceptions about the cross. Some say that the cross is a 'symbol of suffering'. Others say that it is a 'talisman' to ward off evil spirits such as Dracula. Others say it is 'a kind of jewelry', such as a necklace.
Ladies and gentlemen, the cross is God's way of salvation to save mankind who have sinned. Think about it. If a lot of money is needed to save a sinner, the poor or the poor will not be saved. Also, if noble learning is necessary to be saved, then ignorant people cannot be saved. And it would be very unfair if you had to be tall and have a good figure to be saved. Even if it doesn't, I don't have confidence in the person I look in the mirror and I always feel weird, but when God tells me to be saved in that way, I don't want to believe in God at all. On the contrary, animosity against God arises.
But God's salvation was not such conditions. For example, Jesus did not nagging to save a dying person from drowning in a deep river. He jumped into the river and rescued him. And Jesus died instead. The scene of such salvation is the cross on Golgotha Hill. On that cross, Jesus died for us as sinners.
“Jesus died on the cross for my sins.” Just believe this and he will be saved. It's that simple. The gospel is not complicated. Because everyone must be saved, God has provided the simplest way of salvation. However, people tend not to believe that the method of salvation is so simple.
There was a student who was majoring in chemistry at university. This question was asked in the school exam. "Describe a method for obtaining alcohol from coal." No matter how much he thought about it, he could not think of any chemical codes or chemical equations. Now the test must have been a Fail. I couldn't do it, so the student wrote down the answer and left. "You can buy alcohol with the money you get from selling coal."
When I saw this answer, I thought the professor would be harshly scolded, but the professor said that it was the simplest and easiest way to obtain alcohol and gave it a score with a smile. Of course it's humor. But think about it. If our salvation is to solve these complex chemical equations, who dares to be saved? But fortunately. The way of salvation does not require our efforts or abilities. All you have to do is believe in the cross that Jesus made.
The method of salvation is so simple that those with knowledge may laugh, "What is it?" That is why the Bible says that the gospel of the cross is foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to Jews. But for us who believe in this, the cross is the power of salvation.
You are probably familiar with Rodin's sculpture 'The Thinker'. What is the main character of the statue thinking, naked and deep in thought? "Who stole my panties? Should I wear boxer shorts? Should I wear triangle panties?" Are you thinking about it? no. This statue is one of Dante's 'Divine Comedy' that shows a man seriously thinking in front of hell.
But this statue is nonsense. Why? Because it is already too late to think before hell. If you want to think, you must think before you reach the gates of hell, while you are alive, not before you after death. It is too late to think before the gates of hell. Of course, many people think that using the primary color of 'hell' is a shame for intellectuals. It's a really childish thing to mock. But what we do know for sure is that the Bible teaches the truth that there is a heaven as well as a hell. Those who believe in the existence of heaven must also believe in the existence of hell. Hell is a place of eternal punishment.
There is a lot of talk about the military in Korea. Those of you who have served in the military know well, that period is a period in which freedom is bound. In the military, you can't sleep when you want to. I can't eat what I want to eat. I can't meet the person I want to meet. I can't go where I want to go. I can't say what I want to say. Not only that, but they sometimes ignore the soldiers as 'Gunbal'. In any country, there are hardships in the military.
That is why it is said that some young Koreans use various methods to avoid enlisting in the military. Some people have cut cartilage in their legs. Some have cut off their second finger, which is necessary to pull the trigger of a gun. I'm trying to avoid enlisting in the military by doing all I can to find out. Why? Because it is a very uncomfortable place. Jesus said: "If my eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it out. It is better for you to enter eternal life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell" (Matthew 18:9).
What does it mean? Hell is not a comfortable place. It is a place you should never go, even without an eye or an arm. Therefore, we cannot tell you to choose for yourself whether you will be saved by believing in the cross of Jesus or whether you will lose your salvation and go to hell if you mock God's simple method of salvation and do not believe.
Think about it. There is a cup of poison in front of you, and it's too irresponsible to say, "This is poison. It's your choice whether you eat it or not." No, it's actually a crime. If someone wants to eat the poison, you have to hold it by the neck to dry it. If you can't dry it by yourself, you have to use the power of several people to dry it. Because that's how you can save him. Our mission must continue here in Calgary, Canada. If you say, "I'm the only one living without poison, what else do I know?" This is not a real intellectual. No, rather, he is an unscrupulous person who has neglected his responsibility.
We must be saved by the cross of Jesus Christ. And we must proclaim and boast about the salvation of that cross. In today's text, the Apostle Paul says: “But I have nothing to boast about except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
The cross calls out two things. First, you are a sinner. No matter how hard you struggle, no matter how much you try and pretend that I am not a sinner, the cross accuses us of being sinners. Such a sinner has no choice but to die on the cross. Second, the only way to save such sinners is to believe in Jesus who died on the cross.
Humans hate to be called sinners. They usually admit their small sins, but resist the saying, "You are a mortal sinner." "Why am I a mortal sinner?" while reacting. What's more, when you hear "You have no hope", you protest, "Why can't I do anything?"
People, like this, don't like to hear people say, "You are a sinner." If you say you are a sinner, you get angry. But the cross accuses us of being sinners to die for. In front of this cross, we have no choice but to react in two ways. "Why am I a sinner?" Either you get angry and walk away, or you humbly admit your sins. And to bring in Jesus, who died on the cross for my sins.
Fortunately, you and I acknowledged and confessed that I was a sinner in front of the cross. And I was saved by believing in Jesus who died on the cross for me. I'm really happy. Thank you very much. But now we must boast of that cross. We must preach the good news of salvation through that cross. He is a very conscientious person, a true intellectual. I pray that you will do your best to preach the cross of Jesus' power, which gives us salvation even in this foreign land, and then go to heaven.