Pastor Eduardo Alves was in blessed service at Ministerios Adoracion church, preached:
Power of the Cross
When
the Apostle Paul went to the great and intellectual Grecian city of Corinth, he
said, “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). When Paul described what his message was, he
said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
To
the people of Corinth the preaching of the cross was foolishness, nonsense. But
Paul said, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God
is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). In that great intellectual center,
the cross of Christ was a stumbling block to the children of Israel, and to the
Gentiles it was sheer idiocy.
This
Gospel of Christ and Him crucified is still foolishness to millions who are
perishing all over the world today. How few people recognize that the answer
to all the world’s problems can be found at the foot of the cross.
As
we stand at the cross today and gaze on a confused and frustrated world, God
asks the question, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the
philosopher of this age?
“We preach Christ crucified.” This is the focal point of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as
He hung on the cross. The message of shed blood is repugnant to many, and they
turn from such a gory sight, feeling that their delicate sensibilities have
been outraged. Many people will accept Christ’s character, but they reject His
crucifixion.
When we look at the
cross, we see several things:
First, in the cross we see the clearest
evidence of the world’s guilt. At the cross of Christ, sin reached its
climax. Its most terrible display took place at Calvary. It was never blacker
nor more hideous. We see the human heart laid bare and its corruption fully
exposed. The Scripture teaches that man’s heart is desperately wicked. The answer is found deep in the human heart.
Human nature has not changed, and as we stand and gaze at the cross, “All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Second,
in the cross we see the strongest proof of God’s hatred of sin. God has stated that the soul
that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:20) and that the wages of sin is death (Romans
6:23).
To
gain a clear understanding of God’s attitude toward sin, we only have to consider
the purpose of Christ’s death. The Scripture says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission”
(Hebrews 9:22). Here is a positive statement that there can be
no forgiveness of sin unless our debt has been paid.
God
will not tolerate sin. He condemns it and demands payment for it. God could not
remain a righteous God and compromise with sin. His holiness and His justice
demand the death penalty.
Third, in the cross we see a glorious exhibition of God’s
love. We look out upon the world of nature, and in the provisions and plans
made for our happiness we discover a revelation of God’s love. Yet as wonderful
as these things are in revealing divine love, nothing is comparable to the
sacrifice of Calvary. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John
3:16).
