But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14
The Apostle Paul’s final statements to the Galatians is the corner stone of Christian faith. The main teaching of Christ is based the cross and crucifixion should be the defining mark of the believer. There are many people who want Jesus’ morality, but don’t acknowledge the need for His death on the cross. No one can be in Christ without identifying the Lord's death. The cross is not only the symbol that reminds us that we can’t save ourselves but much more than that, in fact, it is the basis of Christian life. Without the cross, Jesus teachings are just good ideas which are simple letters and words and sentences but with cross it becomes life for the believer.
The cross opens our eyes to divine revelations and we see the world around us in a new light. Proud, vain, and carnal hearts are content with just so much religious doctrines as will help to keep up a fair show before the world but the cross destroys it. We become a humiliation because of the cross and the world will consider as fools. carnal men glorify themselves with the world because their eyes are blinded to the glory of the cross. The apostle expresses his aversion to glorying in anything the worldly men did; not in his outward carnal privileges, as a Jew; nor in his moral, civil, and legal righteousness; nor in his gifts and attainments; nor in his labors and success, as of himself; nor in the flesh of others, or in any outward corporeal subjection to any ordinance, legal or evangelical; his glorying and rejoicing were rather in the spirituality, the faith, hope, love, patience, order, and steadfastness of the saints, than in anything in the flesh, either his own or others: and indeed he chose not to glory in anything, but in faith, hope, and joy; and that his principal glory was in the cross of Christ.
By the cross of Christ, the world is crucified to the believer, and he to the world so that the world has nothing to do with him. But Paul also has his glory in this world but that is not derived from the world or his flesh and cannot find glory in anything or anyone except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through whom the world has been crucified to him, and he to the world! So this glorification is the opposite of worldly glorification. it can come only through crucifixion. Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— This is redemption of the believer from eternal slavery. The glorification of the believer through the cross happened because of the greatest even in the history of the mankind occurred in the Calvary. In one action he has killed the whole mankind and even all that belonged to the God’s law. Paul’s only glory is his crucifixion. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. All of us who are crucified are dead to everything that worldly people boast off themselves because they are not our passion or desires. Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the whole essence of what the whole Bible is about. Without crucifixion there is no glorification. This is the very purpose of God’s heart desire for mankind and the message of the Paul. This is the Gospel of our Lord.
Many may accept Christ but when it comes to the cross they becomes the enemies of the Gospel of the cross. "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."—1 Corinthians 1:23-24. It is little wonder that the cross becomes a stumbling block for many. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 the perishing will never accept the message of the God but for us it the power of God for our daily salvation. Philippians 3:18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Most of them become the enemies of God knowingly or unknowingly. Outwardly they may talk a lot about Lord but inwardly there will not be any transformation as the cross of the Lord will not work in them. The cross brings Christ in us and as we are crucified daily the righteousness of God will spread through every area of our being. Power of the cross in the believer is everything. Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. The outer man breaks but the inner man is renewed day by day!
We are circumcised in our flesh so that we no longer are interested in the world and its charm. Philippians 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— but our love and heart desire will be only for our Lord. Song of Solomon 7:10 I belong to my beloved and his desire is for me. This makes us one with Christ so without cross we can never be united with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. This is the miracle of the Christian life – the miracle of Cross!!
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