A Cry of Victory – 3 Truths

I’ve been writing posts related to our pastor’s sermon series, Cries From the Cross. The next to last cry was a cry of suffering. I’m going to make these comments brief and move on to His last cry.

When Jesus cried, “I’m thirsty,” He shared yet another of our human qualities. We all thirst. But when we reach out to the One who offers us Living Water, we will never be thirsty again. Like the woman at the well, we should all be eager to run to share the good news.

Jesus knows every pain and sorrow we feel because He endured the same things during the torture and as He hung on the cross, dying for the sin of the world. Never doubt that He sees you, that He cares, because He’s been right where you may be. Scared, alone, hurting beyond anything imaginable, thirsty, feeling abandoned. Call upon Him to hold you up when you are at your lowest. When you are alone. When you hurt. When you have no words. He is right there.

Christ’s final words from the cross were, “It is finished.” Pastor Justin shared three truths this past Sunday, Palm Sunday.

A Cry of Victory - 3 Truths @DDuPreeWilliams #faith #salvation #ItIsFinished Share on X

TRUTH NUMBER 1

Our sin debt has been paid. We have a debt of sin we could never repay. Jesus did that for all mankind. All we have to do is receive the receipt. That is what was given to debtors in Jesus’s day. If you could pay off your debt, you received a receipt that said, paid in full so that you could walk the streets freely. If questioned, you simply showed the receipt. Read Colossians 2: 13-14.

TRUTH NUMBER 2

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. Compare Christ’s last words with those of Buddha who said, “Strive without ceasing.” Well, now. That sounds as if he didn’t finish the work he came to do but leaves it up to us to keep working toward something.

But with Jesus, the debt is paid for all time. We don’t have to strive to reach some plateau. When we accept His gracious gift of salvation, eternal life with Him awaits us. Read 1 John 4:9-10. There has never been a greater love on this earth than that displayed through Jesus on the cross.

TRUTH NUMBER 3

There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. Nothing we could ever do can erase God’s love for us as Jesus hung on that cross. For many of us, when we mess up, we run away from God. Friends! That is when we need to run to God. The guilt and shame we feel over our sin causes us to want to hide, and satan only heaps on more guilt and shame.

But when we follow Jesus, we look to the cross and see that He took on all our sin, complete with all the guilt and shame that comes with it. He says he forgets it for all time. Psalm 103:12 says, as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us (ESV). Hebrews 8:12 tells us, For I will be merciful towards their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more (ESV).

What amazing promises. When Christ said, “It is finished”, He meant His work on this earth. It was complete for each of us for all time. Friends, if you have not chosen Jesus as your Savior, there is no better time than this moment. The Bible tells us, because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9 ESV).

AN INVITATION

Join Jesus Followers all over the world as we celebrate His resurrection from the dead this coming Sunday. If you made the decision to follow Christ, drop me a note in my email or even on my blog. We will all rejoice with you. It is the best decision you will make in your life. It changes where you will spend eternity. Soli Deo Gloria!

Go to YouTube to listen to an excerpt from an amazing sermon by pastor S. M. Lockridge. You will love it, I promise. Steps: Go to YouTube, search for S.M. Lockridge, Sunday’s Coming! I hope you can find it. Not difficult. It is about 3 minutes long and so worth it.

Blessings, y’all!

I would normally place a YouTube music video here. For some reason, none of the links work. I recommend you go to that site and search for Go To Dark Gethsemane. Whether you find the anthem, my favorite, or the hymn (its tune name is REDHEAD) you will be blessed by the words.