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T H E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
thrown by it. TUESDAY, March 22. 1 Cor. 1:18-31. The Offence of the Cross. The cross is always a stumbling block to thoge who are not willing to be saved by grace. Death is never attractive and the death of the cross is the most ignominious of all. When the Saviour hung upon it they cried “Let Him come down from the cross and we will be lieve upon Him.” There is no Christ however without the cross. Even in Heaven the Lamb is seen as it had been slain. Unto the Jews the cross was an offence because they were trusting in their religious works. To the "Greeks it became of no effect because they were proud of their worldly wisdom. Indeed no self dies so hard and lingers so long as the religious self. The cross is an offence unto morality because we are not justified by works, an offence to Philosophy because it appeals to faith instead of reason, unto culture because it is revealed to babes, unto caste be cause God chooses the poor and humble and unto man’s will because it demands its entire surrender. WEDNESDAY, March 23. Gal. 1:1-12. The Purpose of the Cross. Christ died to purchase our deliver ance from all iniquity. Titus 2:14. This means everything that hinders the soul from becoming like God. He died that He might bring us to God. 1 Pet. 3:18. This includes the knowledge of God, the favor of God, the likeness and presence of God. He died that we might receive the adoption of sons. Adoption is son-placing. All men by creation are the offspring of God but we only become children by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal. 4:5, 6. He died that He might -save us from the present evil age. We are not taken out of the world but kept from its evil like the three Hebrew children in the fiery fur nace. He died that we might no longer live unto ourselves but unto Him who died for us and rose again. 2 Cor.
In verse 41‘the slaves of Egypt become the hosts of the Lord. Now the wheat and tares occupy the field together, the good and bad fish are in the same net, but a separation is coming. SUNDAY, March 20. Matt. 27:33-50. Jesus on the Cross. The death of Jesus on the cross is an authentic historic fact. The patriot dies for His country, the martyr dies for his faith, the mother dies for her child, but Christ dies for our sins, 1 Cor. 15:3. The Saviour’s death has a double char acter. It was a voluntary offering up of the self-life as a service to God and a sacrifice for man. John 10:18. It was also a wilful cruel murder. Acts 2:23. The cross stands for humilia tion. It was the last and lowest step in the downward path of self-emptying travelled by the Son of God. Phil. 2:5-8. The cross stands for identifica tion. The Saviour took the sinner’s place and .suffered the sinner’s doom. Because He became one with us here, we shall be one with Him in glory. The cross stands also for reconciliation be tween God and man and the Vindication of the broken law. MONDAY, March 21. Luke 23:33-43. Numbered Among Transgressors. There were three crosses outlined against the sky on that green hill be yond the City wall. They present a pictorial parable of salvation. The cross on which hung the impenitent thief stands for death in sin. The cross of the penitent thief represents death to Sin. The cross of Christ means death for sin. The vicarious atonement that was consummated on Calvary is justified by the whole trend of Scrip ture. It is vindicated by the philo sophy of history. It is confirmed by the universal instinct of mankind. The cross thus becomes the center of Chris tianity and the foundation of the Chris tian system. Anything that disparages it or nullifies it comes from Satan whose power and kingdom are over
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