Beyond the Cross

Now some are saying they have come beyond the cross, so they no longer have anything to do with it. A well-known minister said, “We shall not only be crucified with Christ, but we shall die on the cross, and we shall be taken down from the cross, and put into the grave, and a great stone shall be laid in front of the grave, and then a seal shall be set on and then - everything is okay.” Paul testifies how Peter, Barnabas and other Jews played the hypocrite to those who came from James. Gal. 2:11-13. This shows clearly that they still had something they had to abstain from, despite their baptism in the Spirit. And today we find many who are baptized with the Spirit, but despite that, things may come forth that should not even be mentioned. This shows that the inherent sin is still in the flesh. If it were not there, then even the flesh would be holy.

Where do we find in the scripture that we are to come down from the cross? In Gal. 5:24 it is written: “But those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its lusts and desires.” And in Gal. 2:20 Paul says: “I am crucified with Christ.” But nowhere do we find that the old “I” should come down from the cross. “Yes, but we are not going to hang on the cross and be tortured,” they say in their ignorance. God takes care of such things. He assigns to everyone what is right. And those who love to do His will rejoice that the flesh is crucified, so that sin shall not be active. And if they want to get down from the cross, who is going to do that for them? Only they themselves can release the flesh with all its lusts and desires. “Come down from the cross,” the enemies of truth said to Jesus. No, he hung there until it was completed.

So, someone says: We will be crucified, buried and then rise up again. These must then believe that it is the spirit of man that must be crucified, instead of his flesh. Yes, when you go astray concerning the faith, you get into all kinds of contentions and deceptions.