Simplicity of the Gospel Videos


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I want to remind us of the perspective that Jesus, our Savior, had concerning His own death. Because I think it helps us appreciate it a little bit more. His death was 1) Purposeful, 2) Voluntary, 3) Joyful, and 4) Glorious.

Well, first of all, His death was purposeful. He recognized that He was going to die. John 12:27 says, “What shall I say, Father, do not let this hour come upon me. But that is why I came.”

The purpose of his death was also voluntary. It was a voluntary or volitional outpouring of His love, and it showed full and true submission to God, the Father. Romans 5:8, “for God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In the garden, Jesus said three times to the Father, “not My will, but Your will be done.” In John 10:17-18 Jesus said, “The Father loves me because I’m willing to give up My life in order that I may receive it back again. No one takes My life away from Me. I give it up of My own free will. I have the right to give it up and I have the right to take it back.This is what my father has commanded me to do.”

His death was purposeful. His death was voluntary. His death was also joyful. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was fully aware of the pain and the suffering that He would face at the cross, but He had his eyes on the joy, and that joy was purchasing our eternal destiny.

And then finally, Jesus considered death as the path to glory. In John 12:23 He said those words, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to receive great glory.” And this is an amazing verse to me because this is shortly before the passion week. This is shortly before He would go through all of that suffering, the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the piercing of his hands and feet, the crown of thorns on his head, and the gathering up the sins of the world that pierced His heart. He didn’t say the time has come for the Son of Man to be tortured and tormented and suffer for the sins of the world. No, He said, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He ignored the suffering and kept his eyes on the glory. And if we can grasp the truth of that verse, it would totally change our perspective of the sufferings in our life.

So this is His perspective of His own death. He was born to die.

Gene Cunningham - January 20, 2003

A Faith That Endures #4

James - A Faith That Endures

Jam 1:21 "receive with meekness the word implanted" - our souls are the field -- we determine what kind of soil we are. . The mirror is the word of God (Jam 1:22-27, 2Co 3:16-19). In the word of God we see who we are as a new creature in Christ. We often walk away from that mirror and forget ("hearer only"). The law can only condemn us; the "perfect law of liberty" in Christ enables us to do what God commands (Gal 5:1, Jam 1:25). The blessing is in the doing (Joh 8:31, Joh 13:17); "religion" = "spirituality" in Jam 1:26-28; if we live a selfless life we'll keep unspotted by the world. Sacrificial service to others is the solution to self-centeredness. You can't be filled with the Spirit if you are filled with yourself (Luk 9:23 - deny self, pick up cross, follow Him). We need to be non-partial (Jam 2:1-3). Christ didn't die to make bad people good; He died to make dead people live. In Jam 2:5, to be is not in the original; God has chosen the poor (we are all poor - nothing to offer) but rich in faith (Mat 5:3-8, Eph 1:3, Eph 1:6). All children are heirs (Rom 8:14-16); but we are joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him -- the greater blessing (Rom 8:17) Believers led by the Spirit are mature children (Rom 8:14-17). We'll reign with Him if we endure; if we deny Him (our endurance), He'll deny us reward (2Ti 2:11-13, Rev 2:26). We are to treat everyone the same in Christ - rich or poor (Jam 2:1-7). Contrast in Royal Law (of the Kingdom, Jam 2:8) "love our neighbor as ourself" (Lev 19:18, Luk 18:18-23) to law of liberty (Jam 2:12). The law of liberty is the Spirit enablement (2Co 3:17, 2Co 5:14, Gal 5:1) -- we'll be judged by this. We must learn mercy from our past failures (Mat 5:3-12, Jam 2:13).

Conference notes for this series can be found [HERE] 

Scripture References: Romans 8:17, James 1:22-27, Luke 18:18-23, Luke 9:23, Romans 8:14-16, James 1:21, Leviticus 19:18, James 1:26-28, Ephesians 1:6, James 2:8, John 13:17, James 2:13, Ephesians 1:3, James 2:1-7, John 8:31, Matthew 5:3-12, Matthew 5:3-8, Revelation 2:26, James 1:25, Galatians 5:1, James 2:5, Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 5:1, James 2:12, James 2:1-3

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