There is more to the cross of Christ than many Christians know. Yet Paul is used to highlight the cross as the single most important knowledge there is to be gained saying in

1 Co 2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

So much was accomplished by the crucifixion of Christ on the cross that benefits those that know the truth. The benefits of the cross are much more profitable through knowledge than just emotional agreement or one-dimensional belief. What Jesus did by way of the cross unveils a knowledge of what’s in God’s heart toward His people.

Luke 1:77  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

When you look at the death of Christ on the cross, it was not only the death of Jesus. The Lord’s death was the death of the human race.

Hebrews 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Romans 6:10,11 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:14   For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

The above scriptures show that the death of Christ was the death of all men for sin. Since the cross, every man’s body is a dead body, a crucified body. All human bodies are loaded with the seeds of sin. All human bodies were under the death sentence.

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

The only appointment of death(death sentence) to the human race was when Adam sinned and death entered by sin.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

All because of the sin of one man, sin came upon all men. And all because of the crucifixion of one man, all men are crucified. The death of Christ was the death of all. Now, I know that this truth is starting to disturb many of you. Because, to you, it is starting to sound like  . . . INCLUSION! Well rest your souls. I am not saying all men are saved and going to heaven. I do understand that to get the benefit of sins being paid for along with going to heaven, you have to believe on Christ. But please understand, that those who never believed, their sins are all paid in full just as much as all believers’ sins are paid in full. The difference is that the unbeliever does not get to partake in the benefits of the cross. The cross has paid for every sin in the whole world forever. This is a testament to the worth of Jesus and the perfection of His sacrifice. Just because there are those who will not believe, does not negate or diminish what the cross of Christ our Lord finished.

The point thus far in this lesson is that all have been crucified through the crucifixion of Christ. Most Christians have not learned to look at their lives through the lenses of being crucified with Christ. This knowledge is huge as it pertains to walking by faith. All flesh failures can be accounted to the cross where they have already been answered. I no longer have get all bent out of shape because I failed or messed-up somewhere in my life. I no longer look at the cross the same way. I don’t just see Jesus’ death, I now see my death through His death. That’s why Romans 6:7 tells us, “For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

To live under the dispensation of Christ crucified is to live in the knowledge of your death; and also to live in the knowledge of having no sin. This does not mean I don’t commit sin. It means that the penalty for all my sins forever have all been answered at the cross when the death of Christ became my death. Because of Christ and through Christ I died for all my sins 2000 years ago. Thank God we are not under the law or first covenant. That dispensation demanded death for sin. The death of Christ upon the cross opened a brand new reality with God. The magnitude of grace and mercy that only God can give has been released through the death of Christ that the goodness of God would bring men to repentance. Man can have justification by faith, salvation without works, love without fear, joy regardless of sorrow, holiness that never fails, repentance without blame, sin without remembrance and boldness through all failures. All of these and more were made possible by the cross of Christ.

This is why I have absolute faith in Christ and can say what Paul said – 2 Co 2:2  “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Love The Truth
Pastor Armstrong