Remembering the Cross

Forgetting the cross leads to spiritual blindness

2 Peter 1:5–9 NASB95

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

We are either growing in the Lord being conformed to his image OR we are not. If we are not growing in Him, then according to the scriptures we are so nearsighted that we have become blind.

Paul is writing to a group of believers and states that if they are not growing then it is for one reason, they have become spiritually blind.

This is a sobering fact! I can only be conformed to his image as I see him. The HS gives me the ability to know him but that ability can be affected through spiritual blindness. We can have difficulty seeing the light and allowing the HS to change us.

Peter goes on to describe why one becomes blind. “Having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins”. COULD WE BE WALKING IN SPIRITUAL DULLNESS OR BLINDNESS, NOT GROWING, BECAUSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT WE HAVE BEEN CLEANSED FROM OUR FORMER SINS”

Remembering the cross keeps me thankful and humble

Remembering how he has cleansed us from our sins is vital to our spiritual walk. Do we regularly remember what he done for us on the cross? Do we regularly thank him for the work of his cross?

Remembering the cross keeps me thankful. Remembering the cross keeps me humble.

Thankfulness is a disposition of humility. It is an example of humility. Humility is necessary for the grace of GOD.

James 4:6 NKJV

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Gods grace comes through the humility of the cross

It is impossible to know the measure of grace that God has secured for us through his resurrection and exaltation without knowing the humility that comes through the cross. Remembering and being thankful of the cross keeps positioned to know the fullness of life that he has purchased for me. I can only know the power of his resurrection as I embrace the humility of the cross.

Without remembering the humility of the cross, I step into entitlement. I believe I have a right to his life and I begin to demand life that he has secured no knowing that My attitude has become arrogant and is pushing away the very thing I am seeking. Remaining thankful and humble through remembering the cross keeps me positioned to receive with the knowledge that I do not deserve it in and of myself but only by his grace through the work of JESUS CHRIST! When I step into entitlement I am no longer operating in grace!

Remembering the cross

How do we remember the cross? How do we remember that our sins are forgiven? What does this look like?

WE MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT!

Corporate communion

we remember the elements of his sacrifice, his body and blood

His blood cleanses me from sin and makes me suitable space for him to dwell in.

THERE IS AN END GAME TO THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. THERE IS A PURPOSE. HE FORGIVES US SO THAT HE CAN DWELL IN US. THIS IS THE PROMISE OF THE NEW COVENANT IN JEREMIAH.

Jeremiah 31:33 NKJV

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

God promises to put is nature in us. This promise is a promise of his presence because his nature can only dwell in us by virtue of Him dwelling in us! The promise in his blood is the promise that he will dwell in us

His body recieved my curse and now receives my blessing. My blessing is the presence and life of the FATHER. Because the humanity or body of CHRIST shares in the life of the FATHER, I can share in the LIFE of the FATHER.

Adapter (Mediator)

New Adam

The blood deals with the sin issues by cleansing me, his body deals with the death issue by giving me life.

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During our devotion

As I have purposed in my heart to remember the blood and body of Jesus (HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS) the HS gives me confidence to approach HIM. I am united to the work of the cross and can approach him on the terms of the cross alone!

As I have gazed on his love for me through the work of the cross (as I remember how has loved me and died for me) my heart is filled with the desire to love him back, and no greater love has anyone than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You see, as I remember the cross, I respond in like fashion to take up my cross. As I remember his sacrifice, I am moved to become a living sacrifice.

Laying down of my life

The greatest way that I demonstrate my remembrance of the laying down of His life for me is by me laying down my life for him. We are to die daily. We can only die daily when we learn to devote ourselves to him daily. We must have set aside devotional time!

(Distinguish between devotional time and study time) We can call this time in his presence. How do I spend time with Him and not just time learning about HIM!

If I want to know Him, I must spend time loving Him. I can love Him because, I have received his HS and HS gives me the ability to Love Him. I must be intentional about going to the quiet place to LOVE HIM ONLY. You see the more I steward the measure of love he has shown me through the cross and through the giving of the HS by the giving of love, the more of His love he reveals to me. As I respond to the measure of love he has shown me by loving him back, the more he reveals himself to me.

You learn to spend time in his manifested presence as you learn to love HIM. When you go to spend time with him, take your time and speak as you are drawn by the HS. Keep your words few. Only say what you mean and learn to mean what you say. As you are drawn by the HS into loving the Lord he will always begin to draw near to you. You will begin to discern his love for you. With time, remaining in focused devotion, the HS will always bring you to the cross. In other words he will always bring you to the place of surrender and self sacrifice. It is in this place that you begin to experience his presence or fire. you begin to live out Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As I draw ear to Him the HS always places me on the altar and on the altar there is always the sacrifice and there is always fire. as I am placed on the altar through my love for HIM I will encounter his fire, his presence, his love for me.

In this place, my heart unites with his and I find my affections become his affections. He renews my mind by bringing me into agreement with his heart.