The Wonderful Cross

I've been reading through John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress and i love it when i get to the part where Christian is relieved of his burden when he is at the cross. It is so easy as Christian's to get bogged down with everyday life and activities, even church activities that we forget the mighty and awesome power of the cross. Im finding in my walk that can't and very much dislike days when i don't think about the cross and meditate on the work of christ at calvary. It truly does "bid me come and die so that I may live". In Christian's case (in the book) he looks at the cross and is eased of this burden that is on his back and shortly after this Christian sings this song:


Thus far did i come loaden with my sin,
Nor could aught ease the grief that i was in,
Till i came hither, What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the burden fall from from off my back?
Must here teh strings that bound it to me, crack?
Blessed Cross! Blessed Sepulchre! Blessed rather be
The man that there was put to shame for me.


What beautiful words that have such great truths: Yes we are loaded with sin that cannot be eased or made to go away until we come to the cross and realize that we have a wonderful savior who has died so that we may live. Please let Christians song be encouraging and enriching, not even the words but the truths they speak, to you today. Be Blessed and Be God's

Grace and Peace

The Forgiveness of Sins

The reality of forgiveness of sins because of Christ is something that the child of God is affected by every day. There is such wonder in the fact that
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Our best works on our best days are not enough to earn God's grace for a single day. Salvation is a free gift of God. We are not saved because of our holiness, but rather we are saved for holiness. This passage from the "Valley of Vision" was helpful for me to meditate on these truths.

"Heavenly Father,
Thou hast led me singing to the cross
where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish,
where my mountains of guilt are levelled to a plain,
where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist,
and are more in number than the grains of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary
to destroy sins more than can be counted
even by one from the choir of heaven.
Thou hast given me a hill-side spring
that washes clear and white,
and I go as a sinner to its waters,
bathing without hindrance in its crystal streams.

At the cross there is free forgiveness for poor and meek ones,
and ample blessings that last for ever;
The blood of the Lamb is like a great river of infinite grace
with never any diminshing of its fullness
as thirsty ones without number drink of it.

O Lord, for ever will thy free forgiveness live
that was gained on the mount of blood;

In the midst of a world of pain
it is a subject for praise in every place
a song on earth, an anthem in heaven,
its love and virtue knowing no end.

I have a longing for the world above
where multitudes sing the great song,
for my soul was never created to love the dust of earth.
Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor,
I shall go on singing Calvary's anthem.

May I always know
that a clean heart full of goodness
is more beautiful than the lily,
that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day,
that such a heart is mine when I abide at Calvary."

- "Calvary's Anthem" pg. 173 from "The Valley of Vision"