Glory in the Cross of The Lord Jesus Christ

Glory in the Cross
By D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Galatians 6:14 - But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Christian does not only believe in the cross, he glories in it! What the apostle means is that he not only admires it, he not only believes in it, he is moved by it. He is captivated by it. He says here, ‘God forbid that I should glory, save . . .’

In other words, the Christian not only glories in the cross, he glories in the cross alone. He glories in nothing else. Hear how Isaac Watts puts it:
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God.

There is an exclusiveness about it, which means that to the Christian this is the chiefest thing in history, the most important event that has ever taken place. It means that he rests everything upon this, that he is what he is because of this. He glories in it.

I must quote Isaac Watts again because I think he makes this clear. He says, ‘When I survey the wondrous cross,’ and I do not think any man glories in it until he has surveyed it. If you take a casual glance at it, you say, ‘Yes, I believe in it.’ But, my dear friend, these men have been moved! Listen to Watts, listen to Charles Wesley, listen to all of them. These men have really seen the meaning of the cross. They cannot contain themselves, they cannot express themselves. Why? The only secret is that they have been surveying it and looking at it; they have been gazing at it. And you see, this is a very good test. How much time do you spend thinking about the cross, looking at it, gazing upon it, surveying it from all its angles?

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And poor contempt on all my pride.

He looks at it, and he keeps on doing so. What does he see? ‘The Prince of glory died.’ He is immortal, He is everlasting. But the immortal dies! But there are other strange things that meet together at this cross. See, from His head, His hands, His feet Sorrow and love flow mingled down.

What a mixture: love and sorrow. Do you see it? Did ever such love and sorrow meet together or flow mingling down together? No, it is unique. This is the spectacle of the ages. Listen to another: Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

You do not associate crowns and thorns, do you? The glory and the splendour and the sparkle of a crown and a crown of thorns, fit only to be burnt, cast away out of sight. But here they come together—‘thorns compose so rich a crown.’ I see one who is utterly and entirely innocent, dying for those who are sinners, dying for rebels, dying for His own enemies.

And it comes to this—He is dying there because of His love, His love for you, His love for me, His love for those who are enemies. He died for people who hated Him. As he was dying there, Saul of Tarsus was hating Him, but He was dying for Saul of Tarsus. As Paul (to give his subsequent name) puts it later: ‘The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). He did not wait until Paul was converted before He loved Him. He loved him as he was, a blasphemer and persecutor and injurious. While Paul was doing that, He was dying for Paul. And He was doing the same for you and for me.

‘God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ . . .’ Do you really believe that the Son of God came down from heaven and died on that cross for you? Do you really believe it? You cannot truly believe it without glorying in it. If you really believe it and see what it means, well, it is everything to you. It is either everything or else it is nothing. Are you glorying in the cross, my friend? If you are, you can take it from me that you will reap life everlasting.

When I survey the wondrous cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down:
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.—Isaac Watts (1707, 1709)

Praise God for the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!!! This is the same cross that Paul has admonished us to preach:

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 - 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

May we all be obedient to survey and preach the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bro Pat