Today's Eagle's Wings: Friday, July 03, 2009

We little understand the dreadful gulf between sinful men and the God of heaven until we begin to grasp how bitter the cup was which our Lord drained upon the cross. That cup of suffering and shame is what constituted the deep agony of Calvary. It reveals the twofold message of the crossthe curse of God upon sin and the only course out of sin.

The preaching of this message of Christs dying in the sinners place has moved the hearts of multitudes to flee from the wrath to come. The crucified Lord is the object of saving faith. In fact, there can be no saving faith where the bleeding Lamb of God is not set forth.

Paul the apostle depicted Christs death so vividly to the Galatians that he described his preaching as placarding Christ crucified before their very eyes (Gal. 3:1). Surely this is the secret to gospel preaching. The death of Christ must not be trivialized by the jargon of the salesman. It must not be hidden under the abstruse terms of vain philosophy. Rather it must be declared with plainness of speech. As Paul put it, our speech and preaching must not be with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (I Cor. 2:4). We must go back to the original commission of lifting up the crucified Saviour. Only then will we enjoy the original power of the gospel in our churches and in our daily lives.

Do you feel a distance between your soul and the Lord? Then lift up the cross before your eyes, and by studying the crucified Christ you will know afresh His drawing power in your life.