Worship Devotional LXIX
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 4/17/2021.
Worship Devotional for 4/18/21
Galatians 6:14:
"But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world."
Philippians 3:7-11:
"But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ — the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead."
How could Paul say that he would boast in nothing except for the cross, a horrific instrument of crucifixion and a symbol of severe punishment, brutal suffering, and death? This is what the cross means to the world. And this is why God's plan for our salvation required the cross — the justice and righteousness of God demands punishment for sin. The horror of the cross shows us and the whole world what our sins deserve. So how can we as believers boast in such a thing?
The disciples couldn't comprehend the purpose and meaning of the cross when their Lord was crucified on it and then buried in the tomb. It must have seemed senseless and unjust. They saw only what the world sees: a symbol of death. But then something happened that changed everything — Jesus rose from the grave! Now, in light of the resurrection, the cross takes on a whole new level of meaning for the believer. Death is not the end. It no longer has the final say. Now because of what Jesus did on the cross — how He gave Himself as a sacrifice for us, to pay the penalty of our sins through His death that we might be justified in God's sight and be freed from His wrath — everyone who believes in Him is crucified with Him to the world and to sin and to their old ways, and they are raised with Him into new and eternal life by the Spirit of God. We boast in the cross because it means we are changed forever. It means God's love has won the victory over death. It means sin and death no longer have a claim on our souls, since we who believe are now dead to sin and alive in Christ. We are free from the world's fate of passing away in futility and being swallowed up by death. Because of what Jesus has done, death has been swallowed up by life and victory! Our God has taken a symbol of suffering and death and turned it into a symbol of freedom and victory by the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. This week's songs are about the cross in light of the resurrection. Let us boast about the cross as the sign of our salvation, and praise God for what He has done. Hallelujah!
1 Corinthians 1:18:
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God's power to us who are being saved."
Here are the songs:
1) Lead Me To The Cross by Hillsong
The message of the gospel tells us of the one true and living God who alone is able to truly satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts and souls. He gives us eternal life by saving us from sin and death through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. When we hear the gospel, we are faced with a decision — will we come to the cross in faith, to lay down our old lives in repentance and take hold of the eternal life that is in Christ Jesus? Or will we continue in sin and unbelief, holding onto our lives in this world only to lose them in the end? Even as those who have already believed and have put our faith in Jesus for salvation unto eternal life, we still face the choice every day to take up our cross and follow Him rather than the ways of the world. Jesus said in Luke 9:23-24:
"If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it."
This song is a prayer that God would lead us back to the cross, that we may not live for ourselves but for Him. For in surrendering our lives to Him and laying them down, we find true life in the end, just as Jesus surrendered His life on the cross and then took it up again by the resurrection power of God's Spirit.
2) Nailed To The Cross by Rend Collective
Colossians 2:12-14:
"Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him though faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross."
Though the enemy would speak shame and doubt to us, reminding us of our past sins, we have a true and strong defense. We can remind him of the cross, and what Jesus accomplished for us. We no longer stand condemned, because the price has been paid in full. We are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ! Now nothing can separate us from His love! We are justified, redeemed, sanctified, healed, and saved forever! The certificate of debt for our sins has been nailed to the cross and is now removed and erased. Hallelujah!
3) The Power Of The Cross by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
In this modern hymn we recount the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion on the cross. Knowing that He rose again and is alive forever, we can rejoice in the power of God that He displayed through the cross. Christ became sin for us, took the blame, and bore the wrath of God so that we could stand forgiven!
4) Hallelujah For The Cross by Ross King and Todd Wright
Praise God for the victory He won having fought the war for our souls! Praise Him for defeating death and destroying the power of sin! Praise Him for making a way for us to be saved and redeemed and set free! Praise Him for all of the souls He purchased for Himself by His blood! Praise Him for giving us hope even in the face of death! Hallelujah for the cross!
Theme(s): The Cross
Scripture references:
Psalms 16, 22
Matthew 10:37-39, 13:3-23 & 44-46, 16:24-27, 27:50-54
Mark 8:34-38, 15:37-39
Luke 8:4-18, 9:18-27, 14:25-35, 23:44-47
John 1:14-17, 12:24-26 & 31-36, 19:28-30
Romans 5-8
1 Corinthians 1:18-31, 15
2 Corinthians 4-5
Galatians 2:19-20, 3:10-14, 5:16-26, 6:12-16
Ephesians 2:11-22
Philippians 1:21, 2:1-11, 3
Colossians 1-2 (esp. 1:20 and 2:14)
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Peter 2:24-25