We invite you now to follow with us in a short message about the:
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
During this past Lent Season, we all saw either on
television, in the movies, or out in our streets different activities
pertaining to the “Way Of The Cross”. Even
here in Aruba people were invited to come and take part in: following the, “ Way Of The Cross” on different days and
places.
Usage of the cross
goes way back in history. Many criminals and slaves were crucified on crosses
before the time of Christ; it was considered a humiliating and cruel way to
die. Even for all the humiliation of a death on the cross, we need to try and
understand the victory that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplished for
all humanity on the cross! This victory includes our God, and Father, the Lord
Jesus Himself and the Holy Spirit of God. When the Apostle Peter wrote to the
believers about the power of God, which is a part of the Gospel, he writes the
following” “Peter, an Apostle of Jesus
Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia and Bithynia,
who have been chosen and destined by God the Father, and sanctified by the
Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ, and to be sprinkled by His blood.” (1
Peter 1:1,2)
We would like to encourage each one of you to read this
letter Peter wrote, and take time to read it slowly and meditatively, depending
on the Holy Spirit to help us understand what we read and then obey.
In our most recent Blog, we endeavored to explain the true
meaning of the words CHRIST and MESIAH, indicating that the two words n fact have
the same meaning in relationship to the Holy Spirit of God. Therefore it is
important to pay attention when you read the letter written by the Apostle
Peter, by noticing how many times the word, “Christ” is mentioned with its due
and proper meaning, so that we may understand, with the help of the Holy Spirit
the great and costly price that was paid for all of humanity. And this great
salvation is offered to all people everywhere, even including the many precious
souls living on our islands here. We give this short and emphatic message very
clearly based on God’s word and it is: “There
is no salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
among man by which we must be saved.” ( Read Acts 4: 8 -12)
Now then, since it is the Holy Spirit that inspired the
Apostle Peter to write these words, that: there
is no salvation in no one else, in no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved. We here in Aruba and surrounding islands should
understand that this truth is for us
today as surely as it did at the time Peter wrote these words to the
dispersed believers, and that goes for all people everywhere all over our world
today as well. And may I repeat? “There
is no salvation in no one else” – only in the name of Jesus. Do you believe?
Dear friends loved by our Lord JesusChrist Himself, we can
see and we can hear how people are dying all around us everywhere: men and
women, old and young, poor and rich. It is appointed unto men once to die and
then comes the judgment. According to
the Scriptures there is coming the day of
the resurrection of the just and the unjust. And as to who the just are, and who the unjust are, the Word of God is absolute
and emphatic.
Take your Bible and read the entire Chapter 3 in the Book of Romans. Pay attention to these
words: “There is no one who is righteous,
not even one.” Continue reading and notice that in 3:21 it says, “But now apart from law, the righteousness of
God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and prophets, the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For there is no
distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are
now justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Jesus
Christ.”
We encourage all of you who have read this short message
today, but are still living in darkness and uncertainty as to the work of
Christ, Who came to this world to seek and save sinners - then know
that the Spirit of God through His servants have told us, “ at an acceptable time I have listened to
you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you. See, now is the acceptable
time; see now is the day of salvation.”
This means, dear friends young or old, that we are actually
living today in that “acceptable time, the day of salvation”, of which the
Scriptures call our attention to. We just wanted to remind you about the: the way of the cross, talked so much
about in these last weeks; it is easy to take part in dramas depicting the way
of the cross, act very religious for some time preceding the resurrection of
our Lord, denying ourselves this and that, and yet ignore and make light of the
true meaning of Christ’s death on the cross in our daily living. According to
the Scripture, “He Himself (Jesus Christ)
bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live
for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).
That is why repentance is absolutely necessary on our part, and faith in the
death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, otherwise all
outward gestures like wearing crosses, taking part in the many “walks”
following a cross, etc., etc., as we witnessed on television, on the streets
around the world, and here in Aruba, are in vain. Repent and Believe.
