the power of the cross…

when you say, “i want to do what’s right but i don’t” – welcome to the human race.  that’s called your sin nature! 

isn’t it true that we often do things that we know are bad for us, wrong for us, harmful for us?  isn’t it true that even when we know the right thing to do, we don’t do it – we delay, procrastinate, avoid it?  that’s called sin nature.  that’s what JESUS CHRIST came to die on the cross to deal with and he has left HIS HOLY SPIRIT to come in and cleanse us of that old nature and to fill us with HIMself with HIS power.

romans 6.10-11 (ncv), when CHRIST died, HE died to defeat the power of sin.  now see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive to GOD. 

most CHRISTians do not understand the power of the cross.  most CHRISTians think that the power of the cross is simply the power to forgive my past sins.  and that is true.  but that’s only part of the power of the cross.  when JESUS died on the cross, HE paid for three things: 

1.  HE paid for the penalty of your sin in the past.  that means i can be forgiven and that’s good news.  and that would be enough if that’s all there was. 

2.  HE also paid to break the power of sin in the present.  that means HE gives me the energy to break the habits, hurts and hang-ups that are messing me up. 

3.  HE paid so that one day i will be released from the presence of sin forever.  that’s called heaven where there will be no sin.  I’ll be freed from not only the penalty and the power of it in my life, but the actual presence of sin all around my life permanently. 

we talked about procrastinating our goals but there’s a far worse thing and that is not giving your life to JESUS CHRIST.  some of you have thought about this for weeks, for months, maybe years.  don’t drag that indecision into a new year.  today, open your heart to the LORD JESUS CHRIST who wants you to set you free from the penalty of all your past sins and set you free from the power of sin today and the presence of sin for eternity.  that is an offer that you cannot refuse.  i invite you to receive it right now.

just a thought from the front porch…