Give praise to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, for the cross. Because of Him, we have forgiveness of sins. He willingly suffered that we would not have to suffer on our own. Imagine being sentenced to life in prison for a grievous crime that you have committed. You would wish that you could go back in time and change the outcome. Now you have to pay the price what you have done. Your sentence will be swift. In the back of your mind, you would hope that a miracle would happen so that you don’t end dying in jail but find freedom. You would wonder if your friends or family would visit you. The life that you knew well was about to end. What an awful way to end your life on earth. Now, what if, someone came before the judge, while you were in court, and said, “whatever this man owes, I am here to pay the debt. I will pay the price instead for his crimes. Cast the judgment on me.” You would freeze right there. Now imagine the judge taking him instead of you. All your debt has been paid. All your crimes have been blotted out. Wouldn’t you run up to this man and say, “thank you so much”, as you grab onto him and hug him, with tears streaming down your face? What he has done would never leave you. You would cherish this moment for all your life.
What Jesus has done on the cross is the greatest sacrifice of all. He has stepped into our place in judgement. We were found guilty but have been set free. Jesus died on the cross and paid the price for our sins. Without this sacrifice, we would be destined to suffer for our own sins in hell. Through the blood of Jesus, our sins have been blotted out. 2Everything that we have done contrary to God has been nailed to the cross. 1His sacrifice is for all mankind. However, only those that believe in Him will be covered by His blood. These people are taken from darkness and brought into His light. His Spirit moves inside of them to live differently. They are saved. Their faith in Christ is leading them to heaven. The forgiveness of the Lord is great. His mercy is endures forever and His compassion has no end. Give thanks to Jesus. All ye sinners that have not been covered by the blood of Jesus, repent today! Dying in your sins is worse than going before a judge on earth. You will be brought before Our Lord Jesus and judged harshly for what you have done. You will have wished that you repented and came to Jesus, when His judgement is passed down and you are confined to a lake of fire, for all eternity. 1Those in Christ Jesus are saved but those on the outside are damned.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, thank You for forgiving me, though I have fallen short so many times. So often have I slipped back into this world but still You welcome me home. I would never find freedom from my sins unless You had come into my life. For many years my life was going nowhere. My sins were so great and I had no way to escape your judgments. I knew of Your wrath and my fear was great. This has led me to call upon Your Name and repent. You heard my confessions and had mercy upon my soul. All my grief was over. Your peace gave me hope for a new day. I was no longer tarnished but covered by Your blood. Thank You Lord. Thank You for the cross. I love You Lord. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1John 3:14-21 (KJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
2Colossians 2:5-14 (KJV)
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
