the cross has absolutely no benefit for spectators

Post date: Feb 12, 2017 1:28:58 PM

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Romans 6:3-6

The acrostic that GRACE means God Riches At Christ Expense is wrong.

It is wrong because the cross was not exacted at Christ expense alone but in fact yours also. You were with Him when He died, you were in Him when He died, you also Died when He died.

I really hope you were!

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;

8 but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.

10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Hebrews 6:4-10

The cross has absolutely no value for spectators, only for partakers.

We partake by faith and baptism and receive a numbers of benefits. It's all or nothing.

• Propitiation: (God's anger towards us because of our sin is appeased)
• Imputed Righteousness: He gives us the benefit of the doubt as long as we maintain faith Christ. It is critical to note that this righteousness is not separated form behavior. He who practices righteousness is righteous

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:4-9

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:2-4

10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8:10-17

• Forgiveness:
• Justification: Peace with God. Seen by God as just.
• Redemption: Bought back form the bondage of sin
• Saved from wrath:
• Reconciliation: Restored fellowship and relationship
• Death to sin: This is critical. Dead people don't sin, its in fact death is God's only way to stop sin (death in Christ or teh secodn death if your prefer). Freedom and victory form sinning in your body is as part of the cross as forgiveness.

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Romans 6:3-6

• Victory over sin: Its problematic that many Christian want forgiveness of sin but not victory over sin. That amounts to lustful relationship with Jesus and will end disastrously.

16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:16-18

• Resurrection Life: This is the new creation born again life that is just like God. It does not sin.

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.1 John 3:4-9

Jesus death on the cross for sin does not save you from death, or keep you out of death. Your body still dies because of sin and now you inner man , your flesh, must still also die to sin. You are not a spectator and long distance beneficiary of the cross.

You are intimately involved in the cross, in the death, the suffering and the resurrection. If you are not involved or included in all these ten will certainly inherit the second death. if you inherit the second death you are obviously also not saved form death by Jesus death.