In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, he states,
Through Jesus' death and resurrection we have salvation, forgiveness, cleansing from sin,
eternal life, reconciliation with Father God, healing and deliverance.
How sad if we forget this and live our life without receiving and walking in all the wonderful benefits of the cross.
When I watched the movie, The Passion of the Christ for the first time,
the suffering of Jesus was horrific to watch.
Yet, throughout the film two things ran through my mind over and over.
The first was the beauty of the Father's plan.
From Genesis through Revelation we see that God required a Spotless Lamb as the sacrifice for sin.
In Jesus, that requirement was fulfilled once and for all.
The second thing that kept running through my mind was this song by Matt Redman.
"Once Again"
"Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
I'm in that place once again
And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I lay down my life
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
I'm full of praise once again
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, My Friend"
I'm so grateful for the cross!
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
I'm in that place once again
And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I lay down my life
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
I'm full of praise once again
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, My Friend"
I'm so grateful for the cross!
still following,
Linking with She Reads Truth
I too have been reflecting on what our Lord Jesus went through. With Easter approaching it is hard not to. Just this morning the song "I will cling to the old rugged cross" has been playing in my head. Thank you for this lively post.
ReplyDeleteHope your day is BLESSED,
~Sherri
Sherri, I sure appreciate you stopping by and taking time to leave a comment. I love that old hymn. We sure do need to cling to the cross.
DeleteBeautifully written, The power of the cross and His immense sacrifice goes beyond my understanding. So powerful. So True.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Andee! I appreciate you stopping by and taking time to leave your encouraging comment!
DeleteThank you for the reminder of staying still and reflecting on the beauty of the Cross. I often forget to reflect on it and the beautiful entry it opened for those who believe in Jesus the Messiah :) Hopping over from the Weekend Brew link-up party :)
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone, I too often take the marvelous work of Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection for granted. I want to live in thankful awe.
DeleteI have long loved that song
ReplyDeletemay we never forget the price He paid
willingly, with love
I love the song as well. So simple, really, but profound.
Delete"How sad if we forget this and live our life without receiving and walking in all the wonderful benefits of the cross." Sad and tragic. This is what I try to explain to my loved ones who say they'll live for Christ later, they'll worry about the "decision" later, etc. I want to see my loved ones living in the JOY of their salvation now! Have a blessed weekend, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, June. I want to live in the JOY of my salvation every moment as well as want others I know to do so!
DeleteThe last line of that song is powerful, that the singer would say to Jesus, "Thank you, my friend." What a beautiful picture of the relationship we have with our Lord.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that so simple, yet beautiful! What a friend!
DeleteI am thankful for the cross too. Thanks for sharing the song!
ReplyDeleteCarol, I'm so glad you stopped by! I appreciate that you took the time to comment.
DeleteThank you for this post. -
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed time
Thank you for coming by and taking time to comment!
DeleteBeautiful post. May our hearts be filled with gratitude for all which was done for us in & through the Cross. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteAmen to that!
DeleteI had not heard that song before...you tubed it...listened...very nice. Wonder at His gift of life...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you took the time to listen to the song. It's simple and powerful!
DeleteElizabeth, that song brings such memories back to me. A favorite that I haven't heard in a while. What a sacrifice indeed!
ReplyDeleteAlison, we don't sing it much anymore either, but it bubbles up in my spirit often!
DeleteBeautifully said, Elizabeth. I love that Matt Redman song! :)
ReplyDeleteI love that song as well, Lyli.
DeleteThat movie came out right about the time I returned from Uganda, dealing with the kids and others who had been abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army. After helping, I came home with PTS and was filled with exhaustion. Dave told me not to see it then. I have the movie, I have the book. Can look at the book, but my heart still becomes too broken by seeing those horrific events. SHOULD be able to adjust to it, especially since I've been a "tough cookie" for most of my life, but this is the area I can't see. You are a treater, as usual. And thanks for putting the lyrics to the song. I was singing while I read it. Bless you, Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteLove you, friend.
Delete"I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the One Who was crucified". Words for living! Visiting from A Glimpse of Life. Blessings, Linda
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave your encouraging comment!
DeleteStopping by from Scripture and a Snapshot, love your photo and the words you shared in this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by from Scripture and a Snapshot! So nice of you to take time for your encouraging comment.
DeleteRandy Goodwin will help you remove the obstacles holding back from your spiritual destiny. Cancel and remove the cycles of poverty, addictions, adversity. Break family curses from the root ! Exorcism
ReplyDelete