The Message of the Cross - compilation
By Ryan Ringnald & Sean Morris
Info:
Most “Christians” are so busy loving themselves, naturally, they think God loves them (Ps. 10:3-6). Most “Christians” identify love from others when they are flattered (Dan. 11:21, 32, Ps. 5:9, 78:36, Mal. 2:17), and they feel “strong in faith” when built-up in SELF-esteem. Shockingly, God teaches us to DENY self, while these men teach its esteem. These “Christians” do lip-service to Christ by adoring His sacrifice, but they live a life of self-satisfaction and no-sacrifice (1 Cor. 4:8-10, 3:18). To them…self is “god”. They don’t imagine God is of a different mentality or personality than themselves. To what end? My reader, because of all this they feel that the preaching of God’s love – THE CROSS – is a message of hate (1 Cor. 1:18, Jn. 3:19, 7:7)! They can’t comprehend how a message of self-death is the means by which fallen humanity obtains everlasting life, and it is because they don’t have a biblical comprehension of themselves (Rom. 7:24, Gal. 2:20, Ezek. 18:4). If they knew themselves they would agree with God – they would hate themselves (Ps. 5:5, Lk. 14:26) – and in so doing, freedom from SELF would be, to them, a message of amazing grace, astounding mercy, and unfathomable love; freedom from SELF would be an exceedingly good announcement, thus the gospel, which is “good news”, would be good news indeed (Jn. 8:34-36)!
Most “Christians” are so busy loving themselves, naturally, they think God loves them (Ps. 10:3-6). Most “Christians” identify love from others when they are flattered (Dan. 11:21, 32, Ps. 5:9, 78:36, Mal. 2:17), and they feel “strong in faith” when built-up in SELF-esteem. Shockingly, God teaches us to DENY self, while these men teach its esteem. These “Christians” do lip-service to Christ by adoring His sacrifice, but they live a life of self-satisfaction and no-sacrifice (1 Cor. 4:8-10, 3:18). To them…self is “god”. They don’t imagine God is of a different mentality or personality than themselves. To what end? My reader, because of all this they feel that the preaching of God’s love – THE CROSS – is a message of hate (1 Cor. 1:18, Jn. 3:19, 7:7)! They can’t comprehend how a message of self-death is the means by which fallen humanity obtains everlasting life, and it is because they don’t have a biblical comprehension of themselves (Rom. 7:24, Gal. 2:20, Ezek. 18:4). If they knew themselves they would agree with God – they would hate themselves (Ps. 5:5, Lk. 14:26) – and in so doing, freedom from SELF would be, to them, a message of amazing grace, astounding mercy, and unfathomable love; freedom from SELF would be an exceedingly good announcement, thus the gospel, which is “good news”, would be good news indeed (Jn. 8:34-36)!
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