THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS

ROMANS 5:6

A. THE PROPHET ISAIAH CRIES, "ARISE, SHINE; FOR THY LIGHT IS COME, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS RISEN UPON THEE. FOR, BEHOLD, THE DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND GROSS DARKNESS THE PEOPLE." Isa. 60:1, 2
  1. Sin creates darkness:
    1. Satan blinds the minds of the unbelievers - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4
    2. Darkness becomes the covering for all whose deeds are sinful - John 3:19, 20
    3. The darkness, created by sin, leads to eternal destruction - Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30
  2. The cross of Christ brings light to all who accept the atonement made on the cross:
    1. That is where the penitent Thief found light for his soul - Luke 23:38-44
    2. That is where all who sit in darkness see the light of their redemption - Matt. 4:16
B. LET US LOOK AT THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS
  1. Christ died for the ungodly!
    1. Ps. 58:4
    2. Prov. 10:16
    3. Rom. 3:10 Ungodly means to attempt to live without God in our thoughts, words, and actions - Ps. 14:1-7. By nature we all are ungodly; every one looks upon his own way - Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:9-19
  2. He died for sinners:
    1. That is the real cause of the death of Christ.
    2. Rom. 4:25; Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24
    3. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22
    4. Thus the whole world, without any exception, is responsible for the death of the Son of God.
    5. For that reason the whole world must look to the crucified and risen Saviour for light - Isa. 45:22
  3. He died for the weak:
    1. There are many weak souls in the church of God - 1 Cor. 11:30; 2 Cor. 11:30
    2. Who has not felt his weakness in the face of the constant pressure of life?
    3. That fact ought to encourage us to say with Paul, "for when I am weak, then I am strong" - 2 Cor. 12:10
    4. That ought, also, to help us to be more considerate toward our weak brother - Rom. 15:1; 1 Cor. 12:22
  4. He died for our brother:
    1. We are, when we accept Jesus Christ, brethren.
    2. A brother is very closely related to us in the light of the cross of Christ - Gen. 13:8; Jas. 4:11; 1 Cor. 8:10, 11
    3. The sacrifice on the cross makes our responsibility toward our brother much greater.
  5. Christ died for all:
    1. That means that the light of the cross is to be brought to the whole world.
    2. "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:13-16
    3. It means that our duty to God and man is never finished until the light of the cross has reached every darkened nation, every darkened home, and every darkened heart.
  6. Beloved, is that what you see in the message that comes from the cross of Calvary?
    1. How it ought to embolden us to take this blessed gospel into every corner of this world - Matt. 28:18-20
    2. How it ought to make us willing to give all we are and all we have to take the good news to all who sit in darkness.


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