The Cross That Brings Life Within
The Cross not only removed our guilt, it shattered sin’s grip on our lives.
Devotional Credit:
Abide Above – Church Plight
Photo Credit:
Unsplash
When many think of the Cross, they stop at its most visible truth: Jesus died for our sins. That truth is essential, but it is not the whole story. The Scriptures reveal another dimension, an internal work, where we are always delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake so that His life might be made manifest in our mortal bodies. This is not simply about pardon for sin but deliverance from the very power of sin itself.
Some have treated the Cross as a contract instead of a living connection to the One who hung upon it. The work of Jesus has been emphasized in such a way that the Person of Jesus is sometimes eclipsed. We rejoice in His substitution for us, but often neglect our identification with Him. What He did to us at the Cross is just as transforming as what He did for us.
The death of Jesus did more than secure forgiveness. It was a decisive triumph over sin. The same Cross that carried our sins away also brought our old self to an end. In Him, God put our old man to death so that sin’s dominion would be broken. Many glory in the outward Cross yet remain strangers to the inward crucifixion that sets them free from the self-life, the pull of the world, and the schemes of the enemy.
The life of abiding in Jesus begins at Calvary. It begins with the reality that when He died, we died with Him. This is not a theological theory to debate, but a truth to believe and appropriate by faith. From this foundation, we no longer live for self, but from the life of Jesus within us, free from the tyranny of sin.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have not only taken your sins away, I have taken you with Me to the Cross. When I died, your old self was crucified with Me so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, and you would no longer be its slave. You are free. The chains you once carried are gone because I have already broken them.
You are not left to reform your old life. I have given you Mine. I am your life now. The same power that raised Me from the dead is in you, not to make you stronger in yourself, but to live My life through you. The sin that once ruled you no longer has authority. The self that once demanded its own way no longer holds the throne.
Set your heart on Me. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Me. Walk in the freedom I purchased for you. When temptation whispers, it is not your master. When old patterns call, they are not your life. Your story begins with Calvary, where I finished the work. From there, I lead you in triumph every step you take.
Scripture References: Romans 6:6, Romans 6:11, Romans 6:18, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:3–4, Ephesians 2:4–6, 2 Corinthians 4:11
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a password-protected account that has been hacked and used against you. As long as the old password is active, the intruder has control. But when the password is permanently deleted and replaced with a new one only you know, their access is gone. They may still try to log in, but they no longer have the credentials.
In the same way, your old self was the access point for sin’s control. At the Cross, that old self was put to death, and its “credentials” were wiped out. Sin can knock, but it has no legal access anymore. Today, when an old temptation comes, you can rest in the fact that its claim over you is invalid. You can say with confidence, “Lord, I trust You to express Your life in me right now instead of me trying to fight this in my own power.”
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that my old self has been crucified with You and that sin no longer has dominion over me. I rejoice that I have been raised with You into newness of life, and that the power of Your resurrection is my daily reality. I affirm that I am free from the tyranny of sin, and I walk today in the truth of what You have already done. I yield my moments to You and trust You to live through me.