Have you ever felt tentative about your relationship with Jesus?
Sometimes we see the imperfection of our love for Him and worry that it’s not enough. But take comfort. This relationship has never been about us being “enough,” but rather His sufficiency for us.
This month, we remember and celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection—and the completeness of His triumph on the cross (Colossians 2:14-15).
Here are some thoughts from Dr. Stanley to encourage you as you reflect in the coming weeks on all that the Lord’s sacrifice means.
The day I discovered the truth about salvation in Jesus, I wanted to shout with joy.
If we say that salvation can be lost, it implies Jesus’ work on the cross wasn’t quite enough—and that it’s our duty to make up the difference. But my friend, that’s an impossible task. There’s nothing we can do to overcome the effects of sin on our own. God saves us by the power of His grace, through faith in His Son—not by our own efforts.
Those outside the church often think Jesus was a good teacher who was unlucky enough to get Himself crucified, or a martyr for a good cause but nothing more. We can’t fault people for what they don’t know. Yet many believers, while professing faith in Christ’s work, still live as though salvation depends on them. Let’s revisit the cross from God’s perspective, as revealed in Scripture.
The crucifixion didn’t just “happen” to Jesus. It came to pass because God willed that it should.
Shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter acknowledged this truth, telling the Jewish authorities who turned Jesus over for crucifixion that the Lord was in fact “delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
Jesus’ death wasn’t a simple human turn of events, but the fulfillment of God’s glorious plan of redemption. It would never have happened apart from the Father’s will. “No one has taken it away from Me,”
Jesus said of His earthly life, “but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father” (John 10:18).
The cross of Christ was the only solution to the greatest dilemma in history: Humankind had been separated from God by sin.
The heavenly Father couldn’t simply overlook sin—it needed to be dealt with according to His holiness and justice. Sin had fundamentally changed the world and humanity’s relationship with Him, bringing dire consequences.
“For the wages of sin is death,” Paul wrote to the Galatians (v. 6:23). We needed a Savior to conquer both sin and death once and for all. And so the Son of God came to earth and took on human flesh—to die in the place of sinners, rise from the grave three days later, and redeem His creation (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus’ death and victory over sin transformed suffering, shame, and death into symbols of our salvation.
Unseen by human eyes, a great exchange took place as Jesus hung on the cross. He took all our sin upon Him and bore the wrath of every single one, past, present, and future. And in return, He gave us eternal life—His life for our life, and our life for His.
You may not always feel the assurance of your salvation, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are eternally secure. You can have confidence, because you are “protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:5).
He is faithful to His promises. And nothing—nothing—can ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
Friend, remember that indwelling Holy Spirit “testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). Follow His lead as you strengthen your understanding of Jesus’ finished work. And let the cross remind you this Easter that while He suffered and died to accomplish something for you, He also did it to be with you.
What amazing love! Until next time, God bless you.
For His glory,
Your friends at In Touch Ministries
P.S. This month we gratefully remember Dr. Stanley on the anniversary of his passing into the presence of the Lord. We are so blessed to continue his work and ministry. Your partnership in sharing the gospel and Dr. Stanley’s sermons all over the world is an eternal gift. Thank you.