25/07/2011 - THE DANGER OF NULLIFYING THE CROSS OF CHRIST

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For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect

I Corinthians 1:17

Everything that is made by men lasts for a limited period of time and does not reach the Lord. By the way, Jesus Himself said that He does not accept witness or glory that come from men (John 5:34). Those who use human wisdom cause great harm to God’s work. For instance, making a church become bigger or even the most important and powerful church on the face of the Earth does not necessarily mean that it is a divine work if, to achieve this end, power of persuasion or any other trick was used. It is only through the Gospel preached with signs, wonders and other operations of the Holy Spirit that the lost can be convinced of accepting Jesus Christ and of truly converting.
With the fast propagation of the Gospel – markedly in Brazil – we will see, with sadness, marketers of human manipulation working their way among the holy people and posing as servants of the Lord. But the truth is that the tare has been planted and it’s already growing in the midst of those who belong to God (Matthew 13:24-30). What we cannot do is lose focus and start fighting against those whose words corrode like gangrene. All we have to do is evangelize just like Christ did in His days here on Earth.
Not even the act of baptizing must be a priority in our lives because baptism is the result of a work done with love and faith. Those who believe must be baptized but that does not mean that we have to compete with others to baptize more people in order to show how great our work is. Our concern must be of always being at the feet of the Lord consecrating ourselves and ready to do the task appointed by Him and to perform wonders the same way He did, and even greater works (John 14:12).
We have to show people that the cross of Christ is effective because He paid the price of our sins on it; He took upon Himself our diseases and
He also carried all our pains (Isaiah 53:4). The message based on what was done on the cross makes the listener receive real faith and it is the only message we have to convey because only by putting it into action they will be healed, delivered and saved. Those who do not have true faith in the Son of God do not resist the first temptation and consequently soon fall into sin.
The truth is that the success of some churches – which is achieved with the help of some techniques of mind manipulation – is only a façade. Obviously, without the anointing and the action of the Spirit of God whatever comes to be accomplished will be as useless as a shot in the dark. Now, only those who are born of water and the Spirit please the Lord (John 3:5)!
My brethren, Jesus came to teach us how to do the will of our Father. Therefore, examine the attitudes He had then and behave exactly the same way because, otherwise, you will make the cross of the Lord without effect.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares