Has anyone read this book?
I am reading this book which is also available on line for free at
http://www.hillcrestalliance.org/main/lib.html#SIMPSON (http://www.hillcrestalliance.org/main/lib.html#SIMPSON)
There is a section, Chapter 5 Enemies Of The Cross of which this was the last
portion of. I recomend this book as its really good!

By shunning the crosses that God permits us to share with Jesus we show that we
are enemies of the cross. For His cross means our cross too, the fellowship of
His sufferings and the partnership of His burdens. If we believe He bore our
cross, we shall be lad to share His and "rejoice, inasmuch as (we) are partakers
of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, (we) may be glad
also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:13). It will make an infinite difference in
the trials of life if we will learn to accept them from the hands of Jesus as
tokens of His confidence and love and of our fellowship with Him in His burdens.
And when we rebel at our hard fortune, shun our cross and seek for a life of
self-indulgence, we are really crucifying the Son of God afresh. While He has
borne all that is necessary for our salvation, He has left behind some suffering
for each of His disciples and if we refuse to take our share, we virtually
declare that we are willing to crucify Him afresh and to make Him bear a second
cross instead of us.

Finally, we are enemies of the cross when we fail to give the Gospel and lift up
the cross to all our fellowmen. For there is for our blessed Lord a greater
anguish than even that bitter cross; namely, the sorrow of dying in vain for
some of those precious souls who have never yet heard the story of His love. His
part was to bear their cross, but our part is to tell them the story of His love
and bring them to share the joy of His salvation. It is thus that He shall "see
of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied," and if we are denying Him
this satisfaction, we are laying upon His heart a far heavier burden than they
laid in that tragic day eighteen hundred years ago, when they compelled Him to
bear His cross and then pierced His hands and feet and brow and side with the
cruel nails and thorns and spear.

Beloved, this vision was the sublime joy that gave Him strength to endure the
cross and despise the shame, even the vision that came to Him just as He was
marching down that valley of the shadow of death, that vision that led Him to
cry, "Now is the Son of man glorified," and "I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me." Oh, are you and I holding back any part of
that joy from the Master's heart? Are we selfishly hoarding this great
salvation, and absorbed in the cares and ambitions of earth, scarcely lifting a
hand or sacrificing a single indulgence to send the Gospel to those perishing
millions who are like fields white to the harvest and whom God's providence has
placed within our reach by the most extraordinary opportunity that any age or
generation ever saw? God save us from the guilt and danger by this awful
neglect, of crucifying the Son of God afresh and being found enemies of the
cross of Christ.

Has anyone read this book?
I am reading this book which is also available on line for free at
HAC: Online Library SIMPSON (http://www.hillcrestalliance.org/main/lib.html#SIMPSON)
There is a section, Chapter 5 Enemies Of The Cross of which this was the last
portion of. I recommend this book as its really good!

By shunning the crosses that God permits us to share with Jesus we show that we
are enemies of the cross. For His cross means our cross too, the fellowship of
His sufferings and the partnership of His burdens.


And when we rebel at our hard fortune, shun our cross and seek for a life of
self-indulgence, we are really crucifying the Son of God afresh.

Finally, we are enemies of the cross when we fail to give the Gospel and lift up
the cross to all our fellowmen. For there is for our blessed Lord a greater
anguish than even that bitter cross; namely, the sorrow of dying in vain for
some of those precious souls who have never yet heard the story of His love.

Beloved, this vision was the sublime joy that gave Him strength to endure the
cross and despise the shame,

God save us from the guilt and danger by this awful
neglect, of crucifying the Son of God afresh and being found enemies of the
cross of Christ.
:popcorn: It really seems to me that the "cross" represents our shame and not His.

Humanity blew it and not Jesus.

Seems to me like Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead with a pistol but no one bows or prays to the "pistol", and JF Kennedy was shot and killed with a rifle but no one loves the "rifle", so it does not make any sense to love the cross of Christ either.

We being enemies of the cross does not make us as enemies of Jesus.

In fact the friends of the cross seem more like the enemies of Christ.

So I say that perception is very mixed up and I say to HELL with the cross.


:duel:

the partnership of His burdens

What??? Blasphemy!! You suggest that the Suffering of Christ is not sufficient? We actually have to help Him?? Participate??? Heretic! Sounds like some church is trying to control you!

:popcorn: It really seems to me that the "cross" represents our shame and not His.

Humanity blew it and not Jesus.

Seems to me like Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead with a pistol but no one bows or prays to the "pistol", and JF Kennedy was shot and killed with a rifle but no one loves the "rifle", so it does not make any sense to love the cross of Christ either.

We being enemies of the cross does not make us as enemies of Jesus.

In fact the friends of the cross seem more like the enemies of Christ.

So I say that perception is very mixed up and I say to HELL with the cross.


:duel:

You are going to believe what you will, but you show a complete misunderstanding of the POINT of the cross. If you understood, you would hate the sin, not the cross.

This statement is particularly off: "It really seems to me that the "cross" represents our shame and not His." The cross represents no shame to Jesus...It is WHY He was here.

Marie, I don't know what the rest of the book entails, but kudos to Ch. 5. :yay:

What??? Blasphemy!! You suggest that the Suffering of Christ is not sufficient? We actually have to help Him?? Participate??? Heretic! Sounds like some church is trying to control you!

You're cute when you get sarcastic. :lol:

Seems to me like Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead with a pistol but no one bows or prays to the "pistol", and JF Kennedy was shot and killed with a rifle but no one loves the "rifle", so it does not make any sense to love the cross of Christ either.

As far as I know, nobody prays to Gandhi either. It was my impression that he is not now, nor was he ever, considered a deity.

And for the record - nobody prays to "The Cross" or even a crucifix. It's merely a focal point for when you're praying to Jesus H. Christ Esq., Himself... very much the same way that a sailor at sea who misses his wife will kiss a photograph of her.

...Unless you believe that he's actually in love with the piece of photographic paper, rather than the subject whom the image represents.

Jesus dying on the cross, and his subsequent ressurection, are pretty much His entire Raison d'Etre. His death - truly, a shameful display of what human beings in large groups are capable of - was the culmination of His divine purpose, and the cross where that death occurred represents just exactly what He did, and the sacrifice He made for us - as disgraceful as it was.


You are not alone in the perception that the cross is nothing more than a murder weapon. However, someone as open minded as you claim to be should understand that those who revere the image of the cross are not reverent for the cross's sake in itself - but rather reverence toward the Sacrifice of Christ, which it represents.

This statement is particularly off: "It really seems to me that the "cross" represents our shame and not His." The cross represents no shame to Jesus...It is WHY He was here.
:popcorn: The Bible book of Hebrews 12:2 says;

Looking unto Jesus ... the cross, despising the shame, KJV Link HERE (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:2-3&version=KJV).

So Jesus "despised the shame" of the cross and it is a negative symbol in every way.

The point of the sacrifice was in the resurrection and not in the killing.


:duel:

:popcorn: The Bible book of Hebrews 12:2 says;

Looking unto Jesus ... the cross, despising the shame, KJV Link HERE (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:2-3&version=KJV).

So Jesus "despised the shame" of the cross and it is a negative symbol in every way.

The point of the sacrifice was in the resurrection and not in the killing.


:duel:

Philippians Chapter 3:

"18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

The full quote from Hebrews (New International version) is:

"2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

This is an ironic statement that from the "shame" of the cross Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne.

Peace out brother and THINK! (oh, and next time read the whole text when you quote scripture).

:popcorn: The Bible book of Hebrews 12:2 says;

Looking unto Jesus ... the cross, despising the shame, KJV Link HERE (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:2-3&version=KJV).

So Jesus "despised the shame" of the cross and it is a negative symbol in every way.

The point of the sacrifice was in the resurrection and not in the killing.


:duel:

My friend you dont understand the cross, or Gods plan of salvation. He saved us so that it would bring honer and glory for him.
Not because were good people, but because were bad people that have been saved by a good God.
Christ always put the fathers will before his own even when he was faced with that incredible cup of wrath that the father had to pour out on him for all our sins. That should blow you away, just looking at the wrath you stored up for yourself alone and you keep trying to force in a little more in the cup all the time.
He took on your sin, and you have a chance to have his rightousness credited to your account, if you will accept the gift and quit trying to get there by your on means.

Philippians Chapter 3:

"18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

The full quote from Hebrews (New International version) is:

"2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

This is an ironic statement that from the "shame" of the cross Jesus is seated at the right hand of the throne.

Peace out brother and THINK! (oh, and next time read the whole text when you quote scripture).
:whistle: This goes back to interpretation as to what does an "enemy of the cross of Christ" mean? whether it is referring to the physical wooden instrument of killing Christ or is it referring to a spiritual "cross of Christ" as Jesus told His followers to take up their own crosses and follow Him. Luke 9:23 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209:23&version=KJV) and Matthew 10:38 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:38-39&version=KJV).

There is a spiritual cross of self sacrifice which does not include the old wooded cross of shame and death.


:duel:

:whistle: This goes back to interpretation as to what does an "enemy of the cross of Christ" mean? whether it is referring to the physical wooden instrument of killing Christ or is it referring to a spiritual "cross of Christ" as Jesus told His followers to take up their own crosses and follow Him. Luke 9:23 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209:23&version=KJV) and Matthew 10:38 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:38-39&version=KJV).

There is a spiritual cross of self sacrifice which does not include the old wooded cross of shame and death.


:duel:

What-e-ver JP. Have a nice day.

My friend you dont understand the cross,
:howdy: Yes I do, and there is a spiritual cross of self-sacrifice that is Holy and true, while there is another old wooden cross used for murder and it is shameful and contemptible to any right perspective.

Without understanding the spiritual aspects then one is only confused by the physical aspects.



or Gods plan of salvation.
:getdown: Yes, I know all that too, in that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess and every person every where will be saved as the greatest salvation of all times, link HERE (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:43-48&version=KJV).



He saved us so that it would bring honor and glory for him.
:popcorn: God is not vain nor self serving.

The plan is to give honor to mankind, see Psalm 8:5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8:4-6&version=KJV)



That should blow you away, just looking at the wrath you stored up for yourself alone and you keep trying to force in a little more in the cup all the time.
:howdy: The true creator God Yahweh is a loving and compassionate Parent and not the horribly monster that you fear.



He took on your sin, and you have a chance to have his rightousness credited to your account, if you will accept the gift and quit trying to get there by your on means.
:otter: There is no chance and no choice to His righteousness as salvation is a free gift to all of His worldly children and not even one will be lost.

It is a really great plan of universal salvation, so even the Devil gets saved.



:duel:

I've never read it.

I am however reading "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper and I plan on reading "the Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Boenhoffer after that.

If you want to understand what the cross is about, and why we should boast in it, read those.

The cross is a symbol of death, that is why people who are perishing do not understand it, but for us it is a symbol of life also.