Living in the Post-Cross Era.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we have deliverance from sin, reconciliation providing a right relationship with God, and we are set us free to choose to receive His abundant life!

The Israelites wandered in the wilderness on the wrong side of the Jordan living in the flesh, bondage and defeat because they trusted the appearance of their circumstances more than they trusted God at His word.  It is the same way for believers today when they choose the pre-cross gospel and live their life by rule and regulation keeping, trusting in their own strengths and abilities rather than trusting in their relationship with Christ and His accomplishments on the cross.   Joshua was able to finally lead the Israelites to possess their promise land when they had learned to trust God at His word over the appearance of their circumstances.  Similarly believers can experience the abundant life when they learn to trust in a relationship that is based on the revelation of Christ's accomplishments more than on their own wisdom, strength, and abilities to keep the law.

The pre-cross gospel represents living as if Christ never actually paid the total cost for our sin.  It is the side of the cross where we are still trying to earn the things that Christ already paid for on the cross.   It is the side of the cross where we try to overcome impossible things on our own.  If we choose to live on that side of the cross we will never experience the abundant life or the freedom that Christ offers.
On the post-side of the cross Jesus has already defeated every enemy.  He has already fought every fight we would ever need to fight.  We have already been given everything that we need to live in the promises of God through Christ's accomplishments.  If we choose to live on this side of the cross we will experience His abundant life and the freedom He offers.

Faith is a result of building a trust relationship with God.  It's not enough to hear the information from the message of the Gospel alone.  We must mix our hearing of the Gospel message with a relationship resulting in revelation so that we will have faith to trust Him in order to experience the benefits of living on the post-side of the cross!  Many Christians are still living on the wrong side of the cross.

We are fighting battles without realizing that the battles we fight have already been won by Christ.  We are still trying to accomplish what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf.   We could spend our whole lives fighting, and never inheriting the promises of God if we take what Christ did on the cross and make it invalid by trying to accomplish for ourselves what He has already accomplished for us.  When will we stop fighting battles that Jesus has already given us the victory over?  We're living on the wrong side of the cross! 

We can experience the promise of God because Jesus has already given us everything that we need to experience the abundant life.  Instead we know deep down inside of ourselves that we are still trusting in our own abilities rather than in a relationship based on Christ's accomplishments.  As a result, we live in fear of facing the impossible obstacles in our lives that would allow us to live in the promises of God.

 
The problem is that it isn't easier to trust God one day when everything in our life is put together just the way we want it.  If we can't do it now, we probably won't do it later.  You have been called to live the abundant life.  You don't have to wait until tomorrow.  You could start living it today.  You have been called to rest in the promises of God because of what Christ has already accomplished on your behalf.  It is already finished.  We've all tried to make things happen in our own strength and abilities.  The authority of Christ rests solely on what He accomplished at the cross!   It's time to start living on the right side of the cross!