Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-09
"IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST WE GLORY
preaching them that perish ooness but
unto us which arc power Cod Cor lis

unto us which are saved IL is the po'
1t is very remarkable that the Cross. which
symbolfzed the most ignominious form of capi-
tai punishment under the laws Of the Roman
empire. Ehould be the symbol of Christianity.
Thus believers who are deeply learned in the
Bible will have no difficulty in discerning that
the same Divine Providence which in advance
marked bread as symbol OF the Bread OF
, Life from heaven. and water as a symbol OF
the later of life from the throne Of God. ana
marriage a picture of the relationship be
tween Christ and the church. directed also
that the Romans should adopt the Cross as a
symbol of 'ignominy. Was not this anticipated
| in the Divine prophecy which declared
] Cursed is every one that hangeth on tree
cross? And did not Lord Jesus use this
very word Cross with proper ngurative sig
MITIGATION considerably in advance of his own
crucifixion. saying. IF any man would he
my disciple let him deny himself, and take
up his Cross. and follow me.'-Matt. 1874
Evidently the Cross the shame of the Cross
the ignominy Of the Cross, the ordeal pictured
by the Cross were foreordained picture-les-
sons-lessons of the self-denial sand sacrifices
expected not only for Messiah but for all those
who would be associated with him as his
| Bride classes members of his Body his
! Royal Priesthood" his Peculiar People" his
Holy Nation"
1t will be discerned that we are drawing a
sharply defined contrast between the meaning
Of the presented to our minds in the
Scriptures and the unregenerated sentiment
which sees it merely as the symbol Of pride
and ostentation whether upon banners or
buildings or bestudded with Jewels for personal
adjournment Let be understood. that the
peoples pulpit stands for the Cross in the
simplicity of its original institution as a SYM
Dol in the words OF our Lord and HIS apostles
"a symbol Of self-denial. self-sacrifice. suffer
ing for righteousness sake in opposition to the
spirit Of the world, the flesh and the adver-
sary.
| On the other hand let us not be understood
| to have any superstitious reverence for a
splinter from the Cross of Christ or FOR one
through our Saviour's flesh. We do not bow
/ down to them nor reverence them IN any
sense. Our thought goes out to the Cross OF
! Christ a much higher and nobier plane
when we recognize the work of grace con-
nected with our Saviour's sacrifice. which was
/ finished on the Cross. In the proper under
standing of the matter LoTI took up his
Cross as soon as he reached manhood's estate
/ under the Iaw-when thirty years OF age. I'M
mediately he presented himself to John al
| Jordan and made a full conservation unto
death, symbolizing it by water immersion
There. beEotten by the Holy Spirit. he came up
out Of the water and for three and a hair
years figuratively symbolically. was bearing
his Cross. His Cross consisted not In His
| living separate from sin. for He had lived
i separate from sin up to that time. He knew
no sin.'-II. Cor. 5:21.
His Cross, the contrary, consisted in self
denial as respects things which would have
been entirely proper and right against which
there would have been no law. These he sac
rificed in the doing Of the Fathers will, in
laying down His life a ransom for mankind
Although His own will was a righteous one
He tells that he came not to do His own
will, but the will Of Him that sent Him-the
|
! namely, that He should lay down His life,
giving Himself ransom for many. and that
ultimately He should receive His life again as
a reward. on a higher plane. and that thus,
by the sacrifice for our sins. He should be
qualified not only to atone for our sins and
thus to purchase the world by the sacrifice for
SIM but additionally that He should have
power and authority to save the world from
/ It's lost condition-from sin and death
Purchased by His Blood.
The APOSTLE Peter states the same matter
| In other words. saving. that we were re
deemed with the precious blood of Christ as
Of a lamb without blemish and without spot. -
Il Pet. l:1s. As the Cross Of Christ was not
merely the timber to which He was nailed
at death. 30 the blood Of Christ was not that
which issued from the sDear-thrust in His side
after His death. The scriptural statement is
| that the Life is in the blood" In accord
with this the Lords sacrifice of His life was
the sheddin of His blood. ''Bloodshed.~ in
deed, Is a proper name for anv violent death.
When II is said that we were bought with the
precious blood of Christ 1t signifies that the
valuable sacrifice of His life was made on our
behalf That sacrifice. that shedding Of His
blood. began when He was thirty years Of
a=e. at the moment Of His conservation unto
death. II continued for the three and half ,
years OF His ministry. 1t finished when
He cried with loud voice aud gave up the
gradually shed. and the shedding was COM
pleted before the Roman soldier pierced His
side. As We see this proper broad conception
Of the cross of Christ and the shedding Of the
blood CT the Lamb of God find that the
two thoughts are identical merely stated from
different standpOints and represented by diff
ferent figures OF speech.
The value Of the self-sacrifice Of our lord
represented in these two pictures, is the gos-
pei theme. on IL hang the law the prophets, !
the promises of the scripture. both of the Old
and New Testaments. Without IL our race is !
undone, In hopeless desDair. Without II death |
10 humanity would mem the same as to the |
brute beast. For although man was made in |
the image of his creator and with noble quail |
ties of mind and heart. constituting him an !
earthly image q hea
theless all of his rights were forfeited lost |
through Adams disobedience and the death
sentence uDon him would raduce him to the
level Of the brute. ONLY bv the Blood of His
Cross is recovery through redemption made
possible. He sacrificed himself He died, the
just for the unjust. that He might bring man
kind back into harmony with God. The entire
transaction aside from humanity. Our
heavenly Father planned it all from before
the creation of the world. for we read thai |
our Redeemer was the Lamb slain from be-
fore the foundation Of the world"-in the d.
vine purpose or intention. (Rev. I3:S)
The Triumph of the Cross
Ali VIC have made a great mistake in the
reading Of our Bibles. We have failed to dis |
Germ that Gods time for dealing with the
heathens is future: that a mllennial age is |
to be introduced in which Christ with hover /,
and great glory will suppress the power Of
Satan and drive the mists and fogs OF
Ignorance and superstition and lift from the
DEGRADATION of sin and death all who will |
then accept His gracious provisions This is |
the kingdom for which the Master told us 10 |
pray, saying. MY kingdom is not of this
world (age)." John 1857 Again. he said !
Pray We: our Father. which art In heaven:
hallowed be thy name: thv kingdom come, thy |
VIII be done on earth as it is in heaven" |
Matt So 1nl
Preaching of the Cross FOoIishness. |
If, then, It is the Divine program that Christ
shall establish His kingdom, shall overthrow
the rule of Satan and sin and death and en- ,
tighten mankind and deliver The willing and ODE
dent, why old lie not begin that WORK eighleens
centuries ago? Why has valuable time been
lostt Is II not foolish waste OF time to preach
the Cross of Christ and faith and obedience I'm !
der the present adverse conditions? Do nor
the results of these eighteen centuries Of preach
ing show the folly or this procedure?
We answer in the words of our text. Yes the ,
preaching Of the Cross Of Christ seems foolish
ness TO the Rerishing Ones-to the world I'm gen
eral. But 1t does not to us. The saved
ones, we who have come into relationship with
the Father through faith in the precious blood
and have come to an understanding Of the
Divine Plan OF Salvation, realize the Gross to
he the power of God" Il Cor. 1:1S.) To US
the message of the Cross has been a transform
ing one, which, more and more have come
TO appreciate IL, has been changing our char
acters and lives from glory to glory, enabling
us to more nearly approximate the glorious char
acter of our Gear Redeemer and 10 become at B
heart 'copies OF Gods dear Son" Romans s:2g.
, In word, God has divided mankind into two
geenral classes, and has made arrangements that
only OF these classes will he snecfallv