“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18. 

To understand the power of the Gospel of Jesus, we must understand the simplicity.  “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1 Corinthians 1:19.  Everything we receive from God comes through what Jesus did for us on the Cross.  Our faith in Jesus’ redeeming work is the only faith God will recognize.  The same faith that brought us to Salvation will also deliver us, sanctify us and keep us.

I have heard many theories about the fight in hell between Jesus and satan which are not scriptural.  “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18.  The devil has never determined who entered hell.  God created Heaven for us, not hell.  There was a sin debt owed to God, not to satan, and the blood of bulls and goats paid for sin but could not remove sin.  Only the Blood of Jesus Christ removed sin.  God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to fulfill the Law and pay the sin debt for all of humanity.  Jesus did not become a “sinner” as some claim.  If Jesus would have become a sinner, He could not have been the perfect Sacrifice for our sins.  Throughout the Old Testament, God always looked to the sacrifice…not the sinner for atonement.  If the sacrifice was not acceptable, the sin was not atoned for, just ask Cain.  However, God always left the door open for the proper sacrifice to be given.  “And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?” Genesis 4:6.  All Cain had to do was give the proper sacrifice but instead he rebelled and in the end chose to kill his brother instead of a goat.

It is still hard for man to accept that God will not accept our sacrifice, our way.  We are constantly trying to add to or take from the Sacrifice, Jesus Christ,  that God has given us to save us from hell.  We would prefer to be perfect with Him instead of perfect IN Him, which is an impossibility…our sacrifice is grossly insufficient.

Understanding that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that our sin debt was and is paid in full to God, not satan (God doesn’t owe the devil a thing), we then understand what God did for us and why – because He loves us.   Jesus is the only perfect Sacrifice for our sin and God only looks to the acceptable Sacrifice; anything outside of the Sacrifice is not acceptable.  Our hope is in the proof, the Resurrection, of our risen Saviour’s Sacrifice and the fact that It was total and complete.  There is not a single bondage, stronghold or oppression that Jesus Christ has not already paid for.   We abide in Him, under His Blood, and He will deliver us.  We are made perfect in Him.  The Word of God is about Jesus, Who He is and what He has done.  We must understand our condition as a sinner and accept the Work that was done by Jesus on His Cross to be partakers in the resurrected life.   We can’t skip over what Jesus has already done and we can’t go any further than what He has done. We must understand the power of God is only through the Cross of Jesus.  Be determined to stay there, at the foot of the Cross, under the Blood of Jesus – the eyes of God are on the Sacrifice.  If you are not covered by the Blood of Jesus, God’s face is not shining upon you.  – Donna Warren