WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE CROSS? WHAT WAS THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS? I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU IN ONE WORD AND THAT ONE WORD IS SIN. WHY THE CROSS? “CHRIST ALSO HATH ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST,” WHY? “THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD.” WHAT DOES SIN DO? SIN SEPARATES US FROM A HOLY GOD.
WHAT DOES THE CROSS DO? ON THAT CROSS, JESUS TOOK HOLY GOD WITH ONE HAND, SINFUL MAN WITH THE OTHER HAND AND BY THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS HE HATH RECONCILED GOD AND MAN. [MUSIC] WOULD YOU TAKE GOD’S WORD AND BE FINDING PLEASE, FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE AND VERSE 18! WHAT A MARVELOUS DEPICTION WE HAVE OF THE CROSS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. BUT HERE IS THE QUESTION: WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE CROSS? WHAT WAS THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS? I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU IN ONE WORD AND THAT ONE WORD IS SIN.
NOW YOU PICK UP THE NEWSPAPERS THIS MORNING AND YOU READ OF ARSON, YOU READ OF RAPE, PILLAGE, WAR, PORNOGRAPHY, DISASTER AND WHEN YOU READ ALL OF THAT YOU NEVER READ THE WORD SIN. LIFE IS SHORT. DEATH IS SURE. SIN THE CURSE, CHRIST THE CURE. AND HOW DOES HE CURE? THROUGH THE CROSS OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. LISTEN TO THIS SCRIPTURE, “FOR CHRIST ALSO HATH ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS.
” WHY THE CROSS? “CHRIST ALSO HATH ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD.” SAY, ISN’T THAT A GREAT VERSE? IS THAT NOT A GREAT VERSE? THERE IS ENOUGH GOSPEL DYNAMITE IN THAT ONE VERSE TO BLOW THE SIN, THE HATRED, THE SORROW, THE SICKNESS, OUT OF ANYBODY’S LIFE. BUT THAT DYNAMITE MUST BE IGNITED BY THE SPARK OF FAITH. I WANT US TO LEARN TODAY EXACTLY HOW GOD FORGIVES SIN.
HOW GOD DEALS WITH SIN. HA, HA, HA, SUPPOSE SOMEONE WERE TO COME UP AND WITH THEIR BIG FIST, PUNCH YOU IN THE NOSE. AND SUPPOSE IN AN ACT OF COMPASSION, YOU WERE TO SAY TO THAT PERSON WHO PUNCHED YOU IN THE NOSE, “I FORGIVE YOU.” AND SUPPOSE THEY SAID TO YOU, “OH, THERE’S NO NEED FOR YOU TO FORGIVE ME, I’VE ALREADY FORGIVEN MYSELF.
