We have too many professing Christians who profess “God” yet they do not study His Word. The god they know is the god being preached to them from behind the pulpit or declared in the world throughout the week in a vain attempt of “goodness”.  This god turns a blind eye to evil and calls it good.  This god is not holy nor righteous.  These professing Christians do not know the difference between the God of the Bible, the only TRUE God, and the god of whom they have heard because they have not searched the Scriptures to see if those things which were declared as doctrine were indeed so.

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

Sadly, the majority of the Church do not understand the Atonement, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  They have been taught that Jesus died spiritually and went to hell, fought the devil and won.  God forbid NO!  Jesus was not saved in hell, which is what this doctrine teaches without actually saying such.  There was no fight in hell. Resurrection power was not manifested in hell. Redemption was not met in hell when Jesus “won” some supposed fight.  That is utter heresy but that is what many believe.  The resurrection power of which they seek, they are looking for it in hell…literally, where they believe the battle for our soul was won.  Friends, this is not the Jesus of the Bible.

 ^“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 Cor. 1:18.

The Resurrecting Power of God is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ.  If we are not spiritually buried with Jesus in His Death on Calvary’s Cross, where the penalty of our sin was paid (NOT in hell where many have been taught the penalty of sin was “won” or earned), our faith has been redirected, the Gospel corrupted into another gospel, Jesus into another Jesus and we are cursed (Galatians 1:8-9).  This is the devil’s purpose; the leaven which leavens the whole lump.

^“3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into Death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection: ⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:3-6

As a believing sinner accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they are planted together in the likeness of His death where the penalty of sin was paid. They believe and understand the Atonement for Salvation.  They believe and understand Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe, He was Resurrected 3 days later and now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.  The believing sinner believes all of these facts about Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done, and because of such they are planted together in the likeness of His Death.

Then comes the sincere religious mouthpiece the devil uses to direct our faith anywhere but the Cross of Christ to now break the power of sin in our lives.  Remember, the penalty of sin was paid by Jesus Christ on the Cross but now they want to help us “live right”, which is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  You see, the same work of Jesus which paid the penalty of sin on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, also broke the power of sin in the Believer’s life.  The Cross of Christ has a two fold victory for the Believer.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the Law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

When our faith is placed in the Resurrection to break the power of sin in our lives, our faith is misdirected.  In other words, faith in Jesus’ Resurrection for the resurrected life we are promised in God’s Word is not where the power of sin was broken.  Remember, the Power of God is in the Cross of Christ (1 Cor. 1:18).

This does not mean we do not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  God forbid no, no, no!!  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a GIVEN because of Who He is, God manifest in the flesh.  Jesus’ Resurrection is proof that every sin was paid in full and it’s power broken.  However, our faith isn’t in the proof of the “Act”, if I can use that word for the Atonement, but it’s in the Act itself…Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  If our faith is in the evidence of things seen, it’s not faith.

The Atonement for our Salvation was made by Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrificial Lamb of God.  It is there that we are planted at Salvation and it is there that we remain.  Daily denying ourselves and reckoning ourselves dead unto sin, crucified with Christ; no longer a servant of sin but a partaker in God’s Divine Nature, walking in newness of life.  This is our cross to bear.  It is not a curse but a blessing.  Jesus bore the curse for us who believe…now we follow Him.

“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

-Donna Clark Warren