Offence of the cross: All sinners guilty of the Son's death

[Ghada]

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

I often wondered why anyone would be offended at the cross of Jesus Christ, and also persecute them preaching the gospel of the cross. Until I understood it's the judgment of the cross that so offends sinners everywhere.

The death of Jesus on the cross is not when any man is saved nor justified with God, as some want to believe. It's the exact opposite: When Jesus Christ died on a cross, is when no man on earth is saved nor justified with God.

Instead, all people were concluded as unbelievers at the cross:

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Rom 11)

And not only so, but all men that have sinned against God, are judged and condemned as crucifiers of the His dear Son, alongside them laying wicked hands upon Him. And this is especially true of them that sin and calling Him Lord:

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

It is because all men have sinned, that the Lamb of God must be slain upon earth, and so all men that ever sinned slew the Lamb ourselves. Even as all Israel slew the bulls and goats and not just the priests, so now all the world is condemned before God, and not just the crucifiers.

The Son did not come to condemn the world, but the world condemned itself when slaying the Son in the world.

Far from any man being forgiven at the cross, all sinners are condemned by God the Father as guilty of His Son's death on the cross.
And so, we see that the offence of the cross, is not at the man Jesus dying on a cross, but is at being condemned by God for His Son's death.

This is the offensive judgment of the cross, that so offends sinners everywhere

Nor is the offense so hard to understand. Afterall, it's a bitter pill to swallow to be condemned by our own sins, as shedding the blood of the only true and living Son of God on earth.

And the offence of course is compounded by the preaching of the cross, with all crucifiers everywhere are thus commanded to repent of their own sinning, lest they too be destroyed with the destroyers.

 

[Ghada]

Judgment and condemnation for sinning was not ended at Jesus' death on the cross, but began the judgment and condemnation of all the world, to include all men that sinned.

This offendedness at being guilty of the Son's death by sinning, is found among all unrepented sinners alike, both them that curse Jesus' name, and worse yet, them calling Him Lord.

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Why was, and is, Jesus offended at by His own? Because He now commands all sinners everywhere to repent and receive mercy to be saved by grace, including His own.

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

It offends the Jews that seek only a Messiah to destroy their enemies, not their sinning. And it offends Gentiles that only seek a Christ to destroy their condemnation, not their sinning.

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

It's all unrepented sinners, Jews first and now Gentiles, that stumble at the rock of offense. That rock being the uncompromising commandment of unconditional surrender by the triumphant risen Lord Jesus: Repent of sinning against Him.

All sinners are guilty of His death, and remain are His enemies on earth.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The gospel good news is mercy to all, but only upon the rock of repenting of all sinning.

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Only by ceasing of sinning do we cease crucifying Jesus Christ afresh in open shame.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
My sins didn't put Jesus up on the cross: He volunteered for it. (John 10:15-18,
Phil 2:5-8 & Heb 5:5-7)

In point of fact: Christ volunteered for the cross many years before in the
dateless past. (John 12:27, 1Pet 1:18 & Rev 13:8)

In other words: my sins made it necessary for Christ to die, but didn't force
him to die: he actually had a pretty good attitude about it.

● Heb 12:2 . . Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.
_

 

[Ghada]

~
My sins didn't put Jesus up on the cross: He volunteered for it. (John 10:15-18,
Phil 2:5-8 & Heb 5:5-7)

He voluntarily allowed men's sinning to crucify Him.

And not theirs only, but also all men as we that have sinned against Him.

In point of fact: Christ volunteered for the cross many years before in the
dateless past. (John 12:27, 1Pet 1:18 & Rev 13:8)

True.

In other words: my sins made it necessary for Christ to die,

True, If man had not sinned, then no Lamb of God is necessary to wash them away.

but didn't force
him to die: he actually had a pretty good attitude about it.

Seriously. Not reviling them that reviled Him, doesn't mean He was vacationing on a cross.

● Heb 12:2 . . Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.
_

It's always better to just quote the Bible and let Jesus speak for Himself.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
Some years ago a well-meaning Catholic man told me that had he been back
there, he would've tried to stop the Romans from executing Jesus. I shocked
him by saying that had I been there at the time, I would've driven the nails
in myself: without guilt, without regret, and without apology.

The thing is: Christ doesn't want our pity; he wants our cooperation. He and
his Father have gone to extremes to rescue folks from a terrible fate: God
and His son went all-in, so to speak, and now it's up to everyone everywhere
to RSVP Heaven, and inform them, in no uncertain terms, that we want a
piece of their action; especially while it's still on the table.

● 2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's
grace in vain. For he says; "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the
day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now
is the day of salvation.
_

 

[Ghada]

~
Some years ago a well-meaning Catholic man told me that had he been back
there, he would've tried to stop the Romans from executing Jesus. I shocked
him by saying that had I been there at the time, I would've driven the nails
in myself: without guilt, without regret, and without apology.

The thing is: Christ doesn't want our pity; he wants our cooperation. He and
his Father have gone to extremes to rescue folks from a terrible fate: God
and His son went all-in, so to speak, and now it's up to everyone everywhere
to RSVP Heaven, and inform them, in no uncertain terms, that we want a
piece of their action; especially while it's still on the table.

● 2Cor 6:1-2 . . As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's
grace in vain. For he says; "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the
day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now
is the day of salvation.
_

It's a good point. Because it's being honest with ourselves.

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

God says no man was there to care for Him on the cross, much less save Him from death. That means no man at any time nor age.

Sinners against God that try to say otherwise, are proud and know nothing. The still think their own sins are not 'really' against God and of the devil.

The are some Christians that think the same way. They're proud of their faith alone, to justify them with Christ while sinning against Him.

The question, "Would I have crucified Him?" is one of unbelief. God has already counted all men that sinned as having crucified Him, and even now as crucifying Him afresh by unrepented sinning.

And no man was counted as a believer nor disciple at the cross, because none of them believed He was both Lord and God, because no man believed Him when He declared He would resurrect again from the grave.

It wasn't a disciple that offered Him the hyssop, and it wasn't to watch His resurrection, then they came to anoint His dead body.

 

[Ghada]

No man was believing nor saved at the cross. No man 'goes to' the cross where Jesus died to be saved, but only condemned for having hand in crucifying Him by our own sins and trespasses. And certainly no man is forgiven, saved, nor born again by Jesus' death alone on the cross.

Jesus is lifted up by the preaching of the cross, and it's not Jesus on the cross that is lifted up, but the resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead.

The cross itself only condemns all sinful men as crucifiers of His dear Son. And so we don't come to Jesus at the cross, but rather repent of our sins and trespasses coming to the resurrected Lord and Savior for mercy and deliverance from our own sins and trespasses. All our sinning is judged as once having killed Him on the cross and still crucifying Him afresh daily.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We are only begotten again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are only condemned for sinning by His death on the cross.

The lie that somehow any man is forgiven and saved from death of sinning, while still sinning, solely because Jesus died on a cross and they believe it, is so heinous, because it is the mockery of Jesus hanging on the cross by the scorners standing there.

Such a lying wonder says they would not have done so, when in fact the cross is condemnation of all them sinning, as still doing so.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

Going to the cross at Jesus' death, as 'thankful believers', is the same hypocritical show of decorating the graves of the slain prophets.

The believers in the prophets went to the tombs to mourn, not to decorate.

Such a decorous approach of thankfulness to the cross, is all eyeservice and show of the sinful children of the slayers, that say I would never crucify Him as they did, and yet they crucify Him daily by continued unrepentant sinning.

We go to the cross only to be condemned. We believe in Jesus Christ's death on the cross only to acknowledge our guilt by sins and trespasses and repent.

That is the only way to the Father by the Son, coming to the resurrection Lord with godly repentance of heart from all our own sinning, to be mercifully forgiven, saved, and reconciled in newly given purity of heart and life.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
● John 3:14-17 . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in him have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The incident to which Christ referred is located at Num 21:5-9.

Long story short: Moses' people became weary of eating manna all the time
at every meal. But instead of courteously, and diplomatically, petitioning
their divine benefactor for a different diet, they became indignant and
confrontational; angrily demanding better accommodations.

In response to their insolence, and their ingratitude for His providence; God
sent a swarm of deadly poisonous vipers among them; which began striking
people; and every strike was 100% fatal, no exceptions.

After a number of people died, the rest came to their senses and begged
Moses to intercede. In reply; The Lord instructed Moses to fashion a replica
of the vipers and hoist it up on a pole in plain view so that everyone dying
from venom could look to it for relief.

The key issue here is that the replica was the only God-given remedy for the
people's bites-- not sacrifices and offerings, not tithing, not church
attendance, not scapulars, not confession, not holy days of obligation, not
the Sabbath, not rosaries, not weeping, not the golden rule, not charity, not
Bible study and/or Sunday school, not self denial, not vows of poverty, not
the Ten Commandments, nor even one's ideology of choice, i.e. it wouldn't
have mattered whether somebody was Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic,
Protestant, Baha'i, Atheist, Agnostic, or whatever. No; the replica was it;
nothing else would suffice to save their lives.

As an allegory, the replica tells us that Christ's crucifixion for the sins of the
world is the only God-given rescue from the wrath of God; and when people
accept it, then according to John 3:14-17 and John 5:24, they qualify for a
transfer from death into life. Those who reject his crucifixion as the only
God-given rescue from the sum of all fears, are already on the docket to
face it.

● John 3:18 . .Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son.

Here's what to do: Find a quiet place, anywhere will do. Cover you face with
your hands for a sense of privacy and tell God you have never yet measured
up to His standards and you're pretty sure you never will. Tell Him you would
like to take advantage of His son's death; and thank Him for His time.
_

 

[Ghada]

~
● John 3:14-17 . . As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in him have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The incident to which Christ referred is located at Num 21:5-9.

Long story short: Moses' people became weary of eating manna all the time
at every meal. But instead of courteously, and diplomatically, petitioning
their divine benefactor for a different diet, they became indignant and
confrontational; angrily demanding better accommodations.

In response to their insolence, and their ingratitude for His providence; God
sent a swarm of deadly poisonous vipers among them; which began striking
people; and every strike was 100% fatal, no exceptions.

After a number of people died, the rest came to their senses and begged
Moses to intercede. In reply; The Lord instructed Moses to fashion a replica
of the vipers and hoist it up on a pole in plain view so that everyone dying
from venom could look to it for relief.

The key issue here is that the replica was the only God-given remedy for the
people's bites-- not sacrifices and offerings, not tithing, not church
attendance, not scapulars, not confession, not holy days of obligation, not
the Sabbath, not rosaries, not weeping, not the golden rule, not charity, not
Bible study and/or Sunday school, not self denial, not vows of poverty, not
the Ten Commandments, nor even one's ideology of choice, i.e. it wouldn't
have mattered whether somebody was Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic,
Protestant, Baha'i, Atheist, Agnostic, or whatever. No; the replica was it;
nothing else would suffice to save their lives.

As an allegory, the replica tells us that Christ's crucifixion for the sins of the
world is the only God-given rescue from the wrath of God; and when people
accept it, then according to John 3:14-17 and John 5:24, they qualify for a
transfer from death into life. Those who reject his crucifixion as the only
God-given rescue from the sum of all fears, are already on the docket to
face it.

● John 3:18 . .Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God's one and only Son.

Here's what to do: Find a quiet place, anywhere will do. Cover you face with
your hands for a sense of privacy and tell God you have never yet measured
up to His standards and you're pretty sure you never will. Tell Him you would
like to take advantage of His son's death; and thank Him for His time.
_

It's well said. However, it's not the crucifixion of Jesus that rescues man from sinning, but Jesus' resurrection from the dead to justify them that do repent for His sake.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Who was delivered by our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Only by His resurrection from the dead, can Jesus now save us from the death of sinning.

His crucifixion is only condemnation of all sinful men as being killers of God's dear Son.

It was the greatest of the worst unjust acts of man, that God greatly used for the good for saving man from such deeds.

His death was evil done by all men, but without dying on the cross, the Son could not be resurrected from the dead for our salvation and justification.

That so great salvation is not at the cross by Jesus' death, but only at the feet of the risen Lord by repentance from such death by sinning.

 

[Ghada]

Who was delivered by our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

He was delivered unto death by our offences, not to justify our offences. He is resurrected from the dead for our justification, when we repent of our offences that slew Him in the first place.

By His death, all men come into condemnation without exception before the Father, and so all men are judged in need of salvation from their own sinning, to ever be justified with God.

He rose again to bring that to pass, by now having the victor's authority and power over all His enemies in heaven and earth that slew Him (both angels and men that sinned).

Therefore, He now has every right to condemn or justify them He will, and it is by one commandment only:

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

And so the condemnation or justification is by obedience or disobedience to the victorious Lord's commandment:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

He now has all the right of total victory to kill every one of His sinful enemies that slew Him (all men that sin), but He is a merciful victorious Lord, to them that come to Him by faith in His judgment and His mercy.

However, He is not a mocked Lord: His crucifying enemies may only come to Him by unconditional surrender, in repenting from all our own sins and trespasses.

He does not receive any sinful enemy against Himself, that would dare approach him with conditional surrender by our own faith alone, without repentance.

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Conditional surrender of parsed repentance at our own choosing and time, denies the condemnation of the cross, and mocks His resurrection victory over all His enemies, both foreign and domestic (Unbelieving and believing sinners alike)

And so, He still comes not to condemn and destroy, for all unrepented sinners are still condemned of themselves and destroyed by their own dead works.

He still comes now with resurrection authority and power to save and justify them, that do unconditionally repent of all our transgressions for His name's sake.

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

The offence of the cross upon every man, is only removed by the resurrection power of Christ to justify any man, that repents as commanded, and it is the authority of His resurrection that ensures mercy by repentance, or condemnation by unrepentance:

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

All authority to judge all men is now given to the resurrected man Christ Jesus, who was slain by all men, for all have sinned against Him.

And His resurrection from the dead is assurance to all men, that we shall be condemned unto death for crucifying God's dear Son, except we repent to believe with the heart unto His righteousness.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

[Webers_Home]

~
Webster's defines "penance" as an act of self-abasement, mortification, or
devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin.

Extreme forms of penance include things like donning sackcloth and ashes,
malnutrition, hermitage, celibacy, walking around with a pebble in one's
shoe, privation, self flagellation, the wearing of garter belts studded with
metal spikes, and ascending flights of stairs on one's knees, et al.

Those types of calculated pain and/or suffering are usually meant to
convince God of one's sincerity.

Spikes and stones and whatnot may seem logical to a humanistic sense of
piety; but actually Christ's believing followers can get by just fine without all
that because his crucifixion did for them what no amount of their own
personal suffering will ever in a million years accomplish.

● 1John 2:2 . . And he himself is the propitiation for our sins

Webster's defines propitiation as: pacify, appease, assuage, conciliate,
mollify, placate, and/or sweeten.

● Isa 53:5 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
_

 

[Ghada]

~
Webster's defines "penance" as an act of self-abasement, mortification, or
devotion performed to show sorrow or repentance for sin.

Repentance is not penance. Repentance for Jesus' sake is to cease the sinning.

Penance is man vainly whipping himself, and has nothing to do with repentance.

God commands and desires the sinning against Him to cease, not men trying to pay for their own transgressions and ways.

Spikes and stones and whatnot may seem logical to a humanistic sense of
piety; but actually Christ's believing followers can get by just fine without all
that because his crucifixion did for them what no amount of their own
personal suffering will ever in a million years accomplish.

His crucifixion was not in vain, because some have and do repent.

His death does nothing for them that repent not, except to condemn them for crucifying Him.

● 1John 2:2 . . And he himself is the propitiation for our sins

Webster's defines propitiation as: pacify, appease, assuage, conciliate,
mollify, placate, and/or sweeten.

● Isa 53:5 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.
_

This is where God prophecies all men will be guilty of His death, for all have sinned against Him.

He was falsely accused, slapped, spit upon, whipped, and crucified because of unrighteous men doing injustice to the innocent.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Jesus died on the cross by the acts of transgression done against His body, which He allowed by commandment of the Father, and for the sake of them that would repent of sinning against Him after His resurrection.

He was pierced by our transgressions, he was crushed by our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.

Who his own self bare our sins against his own body on the tree,

These verses once again show that the sinning done against Him by unjust judgment and execution, is judged as being done by any and all men that sin against Him.

That is the offense of the cross that the unrepentant world hates and rejects: That all men are found guilty at the cross of Jesus Christ, and condemned by the Father as having personally accused and crucified Him.

No man could possibly be offended at a message of being forgiven their sins, because the Son of God died on a cross. Many would rightly not believe it, and only unrepentant fools would believe such a meaningless gospel.

But who in the world would be offended by it? God is offended by it. Not the cross His dear Son died on, but the fraudulent message some preach of Jesus' own sacrifice on that cross.

What is the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for, if not for men to ceasing the sinning against Himself and the Father?

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

 

[Webers_Home]

~
It is very difficult to convict someone of murder when it's known beforehand
that the death is voluntary and/or heroic. Actually, from a certain point of view,
Christ's crucifixion was an assisted suicide.

● John 10:18 . . No man takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself.

Supposing Jesus had opted to use his miraculous abilities to escape; then where
would mankind be when facing the justice of God?
_

 

[Webers_Home]

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It is even more difficult to convict someone of murder when the death is
charitable, i.e. a donation.

● John 3:16 . . For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only
son.

In other words: it's not like mankind painted God into a corner and He had
no choice about sending His son into the world to die. No-- on the contrary
--God wasn't under compulsion, i.e. He did it freely. So if people are
absolutely hell-bent upon blaming someone for Jesus' crucifixion, then blame
his own Father because He's the one who instigated the whole shebang to
begin with.

● 1Pet 1:19-20 . . Christ . . . who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

● 1John 4:10 . . This is love: not that we cared about God, but that He cared
for us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

** I once heard of a famous Christian who knelt at the foot of a cross and
prayed for Jesus to forgive the sins they committed that caused him to be
crucified. Oh for crying out loud! Please don't do that. He and his father
don't want your apology, they want your acceptance. They've gone and put
together a helping hand that is hugely valuable beyond Jeff Bezo's billions; so
take it already! Don't leave them feeling insulted by your refusal.

● 1Pet 1:18-20 . . For you know that it was not with perishable things such
as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect.
_