The power of the cross

Why The Cross?

“And they have defeated him (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of testimony” (Revelation 12:11 NLT).

Many reading this may have not spent much time in church, let alone reading the Bible.  So, a sentence like this one surely makes absolutely no sense at all to you.  And I respect that.  It wasn’t until I was twenty-two years old that I opened a Bible for myself, and actually began to take life and death and God seriously for the very first time in my life.

Verses like this one are not meant to be a form of code language.  But sometimes it’s beneficial to have someone help us understand it.  This passage is simply telling us that the only way we are able to have victory over the spiritual enemy and to experience a transformed life and future is by the shed blood of Jesus and the renewing of our minds by the word of God.

“’Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord.  ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool’” (Isaiah 1:18 NLT).

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).

The power of the crossIn English, Please

Shed blood?  Word of God?  I don’t get it.  Sounds like a lot of Christian jargon, doesn’t it?  Or at least some of us might be feeling that way.

There is no way for me to explain this part of our teaching without plunging a little deeper than we’ve gone up to this point.  But it is far too critical for us to miss.  It is what gives substance to our faith.  Not only is this the very essence of being renewed and cleansed from the dirtiness and shame of our past, it is also the basis of our hope for the future, on earth and beyond!

When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, we are placing our hope in who He is and what He has done for us.  The verses above reflect two of the most important aspects of this:  Our spirit is made new through the cross, and our soul is made new through the word of God.

In my next posting I will provide great detail from scripture related to both the shed blood of Jesus and the Word of God.

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