INTRODUCTION
The cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ holds a lot of significance for us as Anglicans. We sign the cross the moment we enter the temple until we leave, and so many times in one service, including when we confess our faith in the words of either the Apostles' or Nicene Creed. Although we sometimes sign the cross almost intuitively and involuntarily the moment we hear the words, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we need to pause to understand what the Cross of Christ means to us in living a victorious Christian life. The period of Lent, when we prepare ourselves to participate in the Lord's sufferings for us on the cross presents us with a most opportune time for such a reflection.
Under the comments on the Sacrament of Confirmation in the catechism notes Sister Bertha Bernasko O.H.P. discussed the significance of Jesus' cross in terms of its importance for life and growth. That it firstly puts us in mind of the Blessed Trinity, and secondly, to remind us that God the Son died for us on the Cross. She explains that, the sign of the Cross therefore contains all our religion in germ: Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, our union with Christ. How carefully and thoughtfully we ought to sign ourselves! ! ! She concludes.
AREAS OF REFLECTIONS
The Cross of Christ is the central theme of the Christian faith because it symbolizes the life and ministry of Christ. The cross therefore effectively discusses and answers the question of sin and how to overcome it. Our reflections will focus on the following areas:
> The problem of sin
> The solution to the problem of sin
> Practically living out the solution
> Commitment to daily victory living
1.THE PROBLEM
In Ephesians 2:1 -3, the Apostle Paul paints a vivid picture of how man's problem with sin plays out. This shows us the ways in which we live when we follow the ways of the ruler of the world, and the spirits now at work in those who are disobedient to God. It is by gratifying the cravings of the sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. The result is the wrath of God being on us not only for the present age but when the final judgment is pronounced as explained in John 3:36. The picture painted is that we became children who have incurred the wrath of God, and Jesus Christ comes in to appease and brings us back to be at peace with God.
Paul explains our circumstances before salvation in Ephesians 3:1 1. We were Gentiles by birth, uncircumcised from our hearts', separated from Christ', excluded from citizenship in Israel-. Foreigners to the covenants of the promise; far away, without God and without hope. A very bleak life indeed. The old sinful human nature. At creation God gave us the spiritual nature which we lost during the fall, and consequently acquired the human (sinful) nature. The characteristics of this nature are described in Romans 8:7-8. It is hostile to God, does not and cannot submit to God's law and cannot please God. If the sinful nature does not submit to God's law then to whose law would it submit? It is to the law of the sinful nature. The devil controls that law therefore the sinful nature of human kind submits to the devil.
Satan and how he controls the world
The sinful world is under the control of Satan as indicated in 1st John 5: 19, and he has only one aim to destroy us. When God hurled Satan from heaven unto earth he became our enemy and the Bible said woe unto men (Rev. 12:9, 1 2). Satan controls his world through his messengers (demons), Ephesians 2:2, the world system, I John 5: l 9 and our natural human nature. 1 John 2: 1 5- 1 7. So our human nature is Satan's ally who works against us, causing us to succumb to temptation and to sin against God. So let us not befriend our human nature who is a friend to the devil.
THE CONFLICT/STRUGGLE
From Galatians 5:16-18 we see the conflict between the two natures and laws and a struggle for the control of our personality. Moreover verses 19-21 describe the symptoms of the sinful nature. As Christians we clearly see the conflict inherent in us. Although we belong to Christ we manifest he sinful nature, while at the same time desiring to manifest the spiritual nature described in verses 22-25. Where should we draw the battle line? Interesting it appears that the stage for the tug of war is set as both natures pull for control. It is this struggle that Paul describes in Romans 7:14-19 and which we can all identify with: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do. But what I hate I do; as it is, it is no longer I myself who do it but sin living in not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do – this I keep doing,” what a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from this body of death? Paul vents out his frustrations.
This struggle is continuous irrespective of one’s spiritual status. The devil attacks constantly and persistently. The struggle is also evident as our bodies and minds struggle with our spirit to reign over it.
THE SOLUTION
TO THE HUMAN NATURE
Yet, the apostle Paul shows us that the situation is not that desperate as his response in Romans 7:25 give us hope and encourage us to heave a sigh of relief.
“Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,
But in my sinful nature as a slave to the law of sin.
The two-fold solution and the way of victory is the Cross of Christ! ! ! Hallelujah! God reveals his love and power through cross as Paul expounds in Romans Chapters 5 and 6. ln 5 : 8 the first part he tells us in verse 8 that Christ died for us Through His Son' s death on the cross. God was dealing with every person's sins, suffering and sorrow. Jesus was dying in the palace of every individual in the world. The death of Christ therefore gives us a new spiritual birth which offers an adequate response to the sinful nature. This effectively removes the conflict and ushers us into the peace of God. We who were children of God's wrath are now at peace with our God. Our destiny which was hell has now been changed to heaven. So we have freedom through the cross in the following ways: . 1. Freedom from Satan (Colossians 2:15)
2.Freedom form past sins form past (John 8:36; Colossians 2:13)
3.Freedom from present sins present sins (Romans 6: l 4)
4.Freedom from sickness (Matthew 8: l 7)
5.Freedom from the curse (Galatians 3: l 3).
6.Freedoms from judgment (Hebrews 9:26-27)
7.Freedom from-: everlasting death (John 3: l 6)
The second part of the solution, which affects our daily victorious Christian living is as Paul explained in Romans 6: l -4, We died to sin. The idea here is that we are joined in spirit when we receive Christ. This is because whoever unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corn 6: 1 7). Therefore when he was crucified we were crucified together with him, died with him, buried with him. So that as Verse 4 of Romans 6 says we too might live a new life. He continues in verse 6 to tell us that we died with Christ. Not only did Christ die for me, but my old sinful human nature died with Christ so that I can live the new life, and thereby set me free from a life controlled by the devil. So for Paul, the crucified life and its impact on the Christian life is that we are crucified vital Christ to enable us live the new life. Dying with Christ is a spiritual death in which my old nature is put to death on the cross. Why? so that the power of the sinful nature might be destroyed, rendered powerless and ineffective. The sinful nature can no longer control me and so 1 am no longer its slave. 1 am therefore no longer a slave of the devil (obeying and gratifying the desires of the sinful nature). So my human nature will still be there. But will have no effect on my spiritual life, the desire to live and indulge in sin will not be there since it has been rendered powerless like a toothless bulldog.
So Paul can confidently say in Galatians 2:20: " I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who 1ive but Christ who lives in me the life I now live I live by the faith of the We clearly see that the old nature which is Satan's ally is exposed, crucified and rendered powerless. The Christian now lives a new life in the body through faith in Jesus Christ.
When we accept Jesus Christ the new nature has just been given to us and it must grow to so we now have a new relationship with Christ through the Cross. We should not forget that no one with sin in their heart can be in God's presence. So by dying on the cross..
Christ made it possible for us to know God' personally and to experience the love, peace and joy which fellowship with him brings as in the following ways: * We become acceptable to God through the cross (11 Corinthians 5:21) We become members of God's family through the cross (Hebrews 2: 1 1-12)
DEMONS
The issue of demons is also dealt with in Colossians 2: l 5, 20.
Christ freed himself from the powers of the earth and triumphed over them. So we no longer submit to their rules and regulations since we do not belong to them and they do not control us. I have been set free from the control of the universe. So l do not have to appease these spirits and obey their regulations. Since I live by faith (Colossians 1:13-14)
THE WORLD
The problem of the world in also tackled in Galatians 6 : l 4 where Paul says " may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world So l live for Christ by faith in the world and that is it.
PRACTICALLY LI VING OUT THE SOLUTION
"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed (happy) if you do them.
'' (Jn 13..1 7) Al1 this sounds nice, but we can only appropriate it by using the power of choice to experience this freedom in our daily Christian living. So Romans 6: 1 says "count yourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" In effect, we should believe the truth of God's word and live it out. This is because we benefit from all that Christ's death stands for: his righteo...
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