March 17th, 2021

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#FurtherLessonsfromaShadow

Wednesday, March 17th, 2021

In my previous post I wrote about the lessons the shadow of the cross teaches us. I covered three in that post and I want to cover the last three in this one.  As I stated, these were given this past Sunday in my sermon on The Shadow of the Cross. They come from Paul David Tripp’s book Journey to the Cross, a 40 day devotional to be used from Ash Wednesday to Resurrection Sunday. I highly recommend it.  The main thoughts expressed below are his; the commentary is mine.

#4- The shadow of the cross teaches us what God offers.  I think this is the cream of the crop! The cross teaches us that God offers us the one thing we cannot solve on our own: what to do with our sin. He offers us the grace of forgiveness. Without the cross there is no salvation and without the cross there is no need for change.  In fact, there is no hope for salvation without the cross.

#5- The shadow of the cross teaches us how to live. Two words fall from my brain to my lips. Two word easy to think and say but very VERY hard to do. FULLY. SURRENDERED.  I used the acronym W.H.A.Y.S.  to help me remember: Wise. Humble. Alert. Yielded. Sensitive to the Spirit’s leading.

#6- The shadow of the cross teaches us that hope and courage is ours for the asking. The cross takes away our fear of sin and its consequences and sets our feet on a higher plain. The cross tells us victory is ours because of Jesus being victorious.  His victory over sin tells us we can also enjoy that same victory.  His crushing defeat of death tells us we can have that same crushing defeat over our enemy.

I closed my post last weekend and then closed this section of the sermon with the words from a Petra song: “Never perfect…but perfectly forgiven….This is life as we know it forgiven and free, life as we know it abundant and free.” I hope there lessons help you as your prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ death on the cross.