Worship for Today: The offense of the cross.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Galatians 5:11,

"Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being
persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished."

The "offense of the cross"... Paul tells his hearers that if he were
"preaching circumcision", that is, that people needed to keep the law,
the offense of the cross would be abolished. But, Paul is saying that
keeping the law results in Christ being of no value, verse 2. He does
not preach keeping the law. He preaches the "offense of the cross".

As I read what Paul writes about this it causes me to think of the
reality that the horrible death Jesus Christ was willing to make and
did experience on that cross was to help me out of a horrific
situation. His sacrifice speaks of the sin in my own life and the need
I have to escape God's judgment of it. As his sacrifice satisfied my
heavenly Father's justice for my sin, it was a payment for what is
wrong with me: sin! I was born a sinner, I have a sinful nature that
is ever present and I have committed all I need to spend eternity in a
fiery lake of burning sulfur per the justice of our creator.

Here is the "offense" of the cross. If I were able to be a "good
person" by keeping God's laws, God would be indebted to me to provide
a place for me in the resurrection of life. As it turns out I am
unable to be that good person because I cannot keep those laws.
Something is wrong with me. Sin. The cross of Jesus Christ is an
offense in that it speaks of my own sinfulness.

The rest of the story, however, is rich with the warmth and kindness
of God's massive loving heart. In spite of my shortcomings, in spite
of my sinfulness, God reached to me, to us all, by sending his Son to
be that sacrifice that would make me right with him! What mercy! What
love and kindness!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com