Preaching the Message of the Cross
June 2023 |
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
—I Corinthians 2:2
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS TO THE SINNER
When the apostle Paul first came to the city of Corinth, he made a decision as to how to approach winning the lost to Christ. He “determined” or “weighed in the balance” the several options that existed. He could attempt to use the wisdom of men with fanciful enticing words, or he could simply lift up Jesus Christ as the Savior who died on the cross for the sins of all men. After considering the options, he chose to declare that Jesus Christ was the one way of salvation and that his death on Calvary provided redemption for all who would believe. This is the message of the cross for the sinner.
The initial salvation experience is dependent upon the sinner hearing this truth and believing that Jesus’ death is the only solution for sin. This is what it means to preach the message of the cross to the sinner. Whenever Jesus is lifted up, the power of the Holy Spirit draws men to Him. All the mechanisms, gimmicks, or enticing words of men will not bring the sinner to Christ. That is only accomplished by the presence of the Holy Spirit honoring the message that salvation is only available through faith in Jesus Christ and what He did at Calvary. Whoever preaches this message preaches the message of the cross to the sinner.
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS TO THE SAINT
We must take note that the apostle Paul was not writing the letter of I Corinthians to the lost. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth because it had gotten off track in their Christian growth and experience. To get them back on track, he reminded them as to what brought them into Christianity in the first place. During his original stay in Corinth, Paul would have been active in training believers as to how to live for God. These same believers were now creating schisms and divisions amongst themselves. They were focusing on Christian practices instead of on Christ. Paul’s doctrine regarding progressive Christian transformation declares that there is no other means of growth outside of maintaining faith in what Jesus Christ had accomplished for them at Calvary. Calvary did not just pay for the penalty of a man’s sin; Calvary also defeated the dominion of indwelling sin (the sin nature), including long-lasting effects of sin upon the heart and mind.
Paul taught that to grow spiritually, a believer must be constantly aware of where he places his faith. His faith must not be in the group he belongs to, or the church he belongs to, or the rite of Christian baptism, or the ordinance of the Lord’s supper. Instead, his faith must rest securely, singularly, and exclusively in the truths of what Jesus’ death accomplished on his behalf. Only as the believer maintains the proper object of faith will the power of the Holy Spirit continually change his character into the image of Christ. Paul redirects the faith of the Corinthians from their schisms to their Savior. He directs their object of faith from Christian ordinances back to the cross of Christ. This being done, their faith will stand in the power of God. Whoever directs the believer’s faith to Christ and Him crucified as the sole means for growth, victory over sin, and grace for daily Christian living is preaching the message of the cross to the saint.
THE ATTITUDE OF THE PREACHER
Paul went on to declare that he had dwelt among them in weakness, and fear, and trembling. His attitude was not one of superiority based on the knowledge of God’s redemption plan. He did not lift himself above others because of his knowledge of the new covenant. Instead, he humbled himself and became a servant to all those in Corinth. He carefully evaluated who he was speaking with. He was sensitive as to where they were spiritually and what they might need to hear to be brought successfully into the life of faith. In I Corinthians 9:19-22, Paul said he became a servant to those who were Jews, those who were bound to law, to those who were not under any law, and to those who were weak. He embraced humanity not for the purpose of degrading them and elevating himself but for the sole purpose that by being a servant he might bring “some” to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He did this on behalf of saint and sinner alike.
If we are so busy preaching about what we are preaching about, then the focus is no longer on the content of our message but on ourselves. When all I do is preach about preaching the cross, then I am no longer preaching the cross, I am preaching about me. When you find the heart of a servant that will bend to the spiritual condition of his listener, without compromising his moral standards or spiritual truths, you have found someone who just might “save” some. The person who has the heart of a servant, who is willing to take the message of the cross to everyone and anyone, anywhere, at any time, has the proper attitude of the preacher who preaches the message of the cross.
THE RESULTS OF THE RIGHT OBJECT OF FAITH
What does the message of the cross demand of the listener? The message of Christ and Him crucified should draw attention to Christ, not to a group or a specific preacher. The message is that Jesus Christ died for both the penalty of sin and to free believers from the dominion of sin. The message of the cross teaches us that when our faith is properly centered in Christ, not only will we live free from the dominion of sin, but also the Holy Spirit will go to work transforming us into the image of Christ. Those who receive the message of the cross have solidified their faith in the person of Christ and the work of Christ. The same object of faith required in the salvation experience is required continuously for continual victory. We can only be saved and continually changed when we grasp and maintain the right object of faith. As a result, we experience the continued power of the Holy Spirit. These are they who have received the message of the cross.
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