Crisis at the Cross
To experience Jesus' victory and power in our lives, we must take up the cross, trust in His shed blood, and agree with His word that we can no longer continue in our sin.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of embracing the cross to access Jesus' victory and power in our lives. He explains that salvation comes through faith in God's Word, and we must acknowledge our inability to overcome sin on our own. By being 'in Christ,' we partake in His crucifixion and resurrection, which grants us newness of life and freedom from sin. Wilkerson encourages believers to confront their strongholds at the cross, trusting in God's promise of deliverance. Ultimately, he highlights the importance of recognizing our need for grace and the transformative power of the cross in our lives.
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How do we get Jesus' victory and power in our own lives? How do we appropriate His resurrection and newness of life?
First, let me ask you: How do you know you are saved? It is by faith, of course. The knowledge of our salvation comes by our faith alone in God's Word.
Likewise, we are to take up the cross, embrace it and receive victory by faith in the overcoming power of Jesus' shed blood. We must admit, "God, I have no power. I do not have the ability to deliver myself or crucify myself or have any power over sin. I give up all my own efforts to die to sin."
By faith, we are "in Christ" -- and we are to enjoy the benefits of all He has accomplished. You see, from the very moment we were born again, we have been in Christ -- and that means we entered into everything that happened to Christ. This includes His victories as well as His crucifixion. If we agree with God's Word that our sins are exceedingly wicked, we must also agree with the good things the cross offers. They are ours -- because Jesus accomplished them all for us.
God's Word says that once we embrace the cross, we are crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him into newness of life. We are set free! We can yield our bodies to the service of the Lord and offer our members as instruments of righteousness.
At times you may stumble because of unbelief, but you can hold on to the truth that ultimately victory is yours, because you cry, "Lord, I'm going to trust You until victory comes."
I thank God for the cross of Christ and I thank God for its crisis. I know by experience that the greatest "grace preaching" in the world is the preaching of the cross. Have you had your crisis of the cross? What about that one stronghold you long to be delivered from?
There is deliverance for you today but it won't come until you kneel before Jesus and have your crisis at His cross. There you must agree with His word: "I can no longer continue in my sin, not for another hour. God, I bring it to You now!"
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Faith in Salvation
- A. Salvation comes by faith alone in God's Word
- B. The knowledge of our salvation is a result of our faith
- II. Taking Up the Cross
- A. We must admit our powerlessness over sin
- B. We must give up our own efforts to die to sin
- C. We must trust in the overcoming power of Jesus' shed blood
- III. Embracing the Benefits of the Cross
- A. We are crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him
- B. We are set free from sin and its strongholds
- C. We can yield our bodies to the service of the Lord
Key Quotes
“God, I have no power. I do not have the ability to deliver myself or crucify myself or have any power over sin. I give up all my own efforts to die to sin.” — David Wilkerson
“God's Word says that once we embrace the cross, we are crucified with Christ and resurrected with Him into newness of life.” — David Wilkerson
“Have you had your crisis of the cross? What about that one stronghold you long to be delivered from?” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must admit our powerlessness over sin and give up our own efforts to die to sin.
- We must trust in the overcoming power of Jesus' shed blood and take up the cross.
- We can experience deliverance from sin and its strongholds by kneeling before Jesus and having our crisis at His cross.