Why is the Preaching of the Cross Hated by the Church?
Originally published 7th February 2012
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ (as the Foundation of all Victory; Paul, here, takes us back to Rom. 6:3-5): nevertheless I live (have new life); yet not I (not by my own strength and ability), but Christ lives in me (by virtue of me dying with Him on the Cross, and being raised with Him in Newness of Life): and the life which I now live in the flesh (my daily walk before God) I live by the Faith of the Son of God (the Cross is ever the Object of my Faith), Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (which is the only way that I could be Saved).”
If one is diligent they will notice that Paul in this Verse begins with the Cross: “I am crucified with Christ,” and it ends with the Cross: “Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
Never forget Calvary was the greatest day in human history. Everything, as it regards Salvation and all the benefits the Lord has willed for us, come exclusively through what Christ did on Calvary’s Cross. Therefore, the preaching of the Cross should be the foundation of every message that is preached, but, sad to say, religious man attempts to improve on what the Lord has already done. They resort to preaching psychology, self-help, comedy, and even plain old worldly presentations calling it the Gospel.
Recently, one preacher referred to our preaching of the Cross as “Greasy Grace.” Now, let me be blunt, that man is a fool and in my opinion is edging close to blasphemy. There is nothing greasy about Grace. That statement shows how little he knows about Grace and how much He needs Grace.
Today in the Church there is a growing hostility towards the Message of the Cross. Why is that? The answer is the following.
THE CROSS REVEALS THE HEART
The Cross reveals the true heart of man as it regards sin. Paul said in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked, that you were servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered to you.” Notice that it begins in the past tense, “you were the servants of sin.” We were slaves to sin, but at Calvary, Jesus Christ paid the price to deliver humanity from sin. You can’t stand at the foot of the Cross Spiritually speaking and deny who and what we are.
To better explain this Verse the word “delivered” in the Greek Text is somewhat different in how it is normally used. The Greek Text says it this way, “the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered.”
He is actually saying that the Believer was delivered into the “form of Doctrine,” that is in Salvation. The Doctrine of Salvation is all in the Cross, not works, not good deeds, but one coming to Calvary’s Cross and admitting they are a sinner and accepting the precious atoning Blood of Jesus Christ as the only means of Salvation.
THE CROSS EXPOSES FALSE DOCTRINE
Paul said in Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the Grace of God: for if Righteousness come by the Law, then Christ died in vain.” All false doctrine constitutes some form of man-made doctrine or law that is false and does not lead man close to Christ but away from Christ. All false doctrine deviates from the Cross in some way. Let me make it simple, if it’s not the Cross, it’s false doctrine.
THE CROSS EXPOSES THE FLESH OF MAN
Paul said in Romans 8:3, “For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His Own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (doesn’t mean Christ was sinful but fully human, conformed in the appearance of flesh, which is characterized by sin, yet He was sinless), and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
Religious man loves to feed the flesh: sinful man in vice and religious man through his supposed good works. Religious man loves religious pomp and ceremony, but the Word plainly says, whether the law of Moses, which preachers are trying to bring back into the Church, which is a sin for the Law has been done away with and a new and better Covenant has taken its place. But, Paul says if you try to keep the Law, whether the Law of Moses or man-made doctrines, or denominational rules that are not Scriptural, “you are fallen from Grace” (Gal. 5:4).
Yes, the Cross is hated by some preachers, but as for me, I like what the great Hymn of the Church says, “I will cling to the old rugged Cross,” and so should you.
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