The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-26

4
i ~ assSss long since fallen
/ into decay, but the
messages given
4 from them are still to be heard.
The Center Cross.
| From the center cross there comes
/ the message that provision has been
1 made for the taking away of mans
/ sin. This provision has been made by
i God alone. He needed no assistance
/ from man. The prophet has said that
| 1t pleased the Lord to bruise him; he
has put him to grief (Isaiah So :10).
| Peter has declared that our Lord was
| delivered by the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23).
/ And Paul has declared "God commend
1 ed his love toward us in that while we
were yet sinners Christ died for us"
| (Romans 5:S). 1t will be seen that
| this provision has been made by God
4 through sacrifice, for Jesus was the
| Lamb of God taking away the sin OF
! the world John :29). He was the
fulfllment of the types of the Old Tes-
| lament. The coat of skins wherewith
Adam was clothed, the blood of the
1 lamb which protected the people In
Egypt on the Passover night, the offer
| ings of blood of Leyiticus, and all the
slain beasts offered in sacrifice, point
to the fundamental truth that without
i the shedding of blood there is no re-
mission" (Hebrews 9:22). Not only
| Is this provision made by God alone
and by sacrifice, but 1t is made by the
sacrifice of a substitute. Long before
Christ came, the prophet had declared
i that 'he was to be wounded for our
i transgressions and bruised for our in
i iuuities. All we like sheep have gone
\ astrag and the Lord has laid on him
/ the lniGdity or us all" tIsaiah IS IS, 81.
\ And when at last that substitute came,
4 Peter declared that he "his own self
4 bare our sins in his own body on the
tree" Il Peter 2:24). This one upon
the center cross is there in mans
4 place, standing in mans stead, the sub
4 stitute to whom Is charged all of mans
sin, the sacrifice, blotting out by his
own blood, the iniquity of man. This
one is Gods provision for the taking
away of mans transgressiOn.
The Second Cross.
The second cross brings us mes
sage of salvation received. 1t speaks
to us first of all of realization of the
need for substitute, and also convic-
ton of sin. When the thief cried,
''Lord remember me-" he was voicing
the plea of the publican, "God be mer-
ciful to me the sinner" This is fol-
lowed by faith in him. 1t is one thing
to have faith, it is another to have
faith in the proper object. Faith in
deed saves us, but 1t is faith In Christ
alone. One may have good faith in
bank, and yet lose his money, not
because there was anything wrong
with the faith, but because there was
something wrong with the object of
the faith. One may have good faith
In many things and lose his soul, not
because there is anything wrong with
4 the faith, but because that faith has
not been conferred in the Lord Jesus
Christ, who alone is Gods provision
for mans sin. This dying thief could
! not come down from the cross and 60
back over his record and undo the
things which he had done. He could
| not make restitution; he could not blot
out his record, nor was he given time
to come from the cross and live good
and upright life, but If he were saved
! at all, he had to be saved by what
Christ did and not by anything which
) / lie could do added to what Christ had
/ done.
The Third Cross.
. The message from the third cross
! speaks Of the insanity of sin. There
Is story told of a young man who
I had committed crime for which he
was tried and found guilty and SEN
fenced to a penitentiary. After he had
4 been placed in the prison, his mother
at the expense of great deal of time
and care, and with many tears, finally
succeeded in securing for him pardon
from the governor of the state. With
Joyous heart, feeling well repaid fol
the long weeks of ceaseiess effort, she
! went to the penitentlary bearing the
precious pardon which would liberatt
|, her boy. When at last she stood II
his presence with tears Of joy In hel
Z eyes, she handed to her boy his par
don. Instead of being grateful, and in
I stead of accepting and making us'
of the pardon, the boy deliberately
tore it into pieces, throwing it upor
the floor. and stamped upon it will
\ disdain. It is thus that the sinner VIII
!. rejects Gods proffered salvation treat
I what God has to offer. 1t Is the In
4 sanity of sin leading on to sufcide o
z the soul. All one has to do to commi
sonl snicifln is To reject Gods grace.