“Oh yes, there is power in the cross,” we quickly say. “The blood of Jesus has saved me from my past sins and will take me to heaven when I die.”
Sound familiar? Why is it that we can so easily trust Jesus with our past sins and future sins, yet we have little or no confidence that He can save us from our present sins? Why do we remain in bondage to those pesky little habits that so easily beset us?1 I fear we have somehow been tricked into thinking there is no hope for us in that area.
I am astounded at the power this message from Satan has over our lives. Why wouldn’t saving us from present sins be as easy for Jesus as saving us from past sins or future sins? Ponder that thought. Are we missing something here?
Jesus told the complaining crowd, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”2
The truth is that neither is hard for Jesus, the Healer, the Forgiver, the Deliverer, and the Savior! He can heal a paralytic as easy as He can save him from his sins. Likewise, He can save us from our present sins as easy as He can save us from our past or future sins.
I believe that we live in bondage to our present sins mostly because no one preaches the power of the cross anymore. We’ve failed in our attempts to improve our flesh so many times that we’ve given up, and even the preachers of today have failed so many times that they’ve given up too. They can tell us how to get to heaven, but they can’t tell us how to be saved from the bondage of present sins.
Part of the great announcement about the birth of the Messiah is that He would save His people from their sins.3 That includes us and that includes now! We can be free solely because Jesus did His part. He died to free us from all of our sins, and if we aren’t free it is because we do not know how to claim the victory that He won for us.
We must first begin to believe this victory applies not only to past and future sins, but also to these here and now sins from which we cannot shake free. If the Son sets us free, we will be free indeed!4 This promise is for us, and we shall soon see how to claim it in the here and now.
Most assuredly, there is power in the cross! ~ Janie Kellogg
Key Quote: “Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning.”5 ~ Oswald Chambers
For more Secret Place Secrets visit www.treasureinearthenvessels.net and follow the footprints.
1Hebrews 12:1; 2Mark 2:9-10; 3Matthew 1:21; 4John 8:36; 5Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, August 15
TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS 
This is so ME… and most that i know. Although i say I wont allow it, Family can make you deny the power more so than the DEVIL for me i always get ” why do you bother going to church you live like the devil all the time ? there is a lot of truth in that statement. HOWEVER I own up to it. I dont like the way i live I feel I fight it to the point of exhaustion and to date i have lost the battle. and yet If i miss church I began to be worst than i am, so my thoughts are stay the coarse and one day i will be strong enough to overcome. and if not at least i will have DIED trying, I am stronger in my faith than i ever have been. mainly due to the fact that the DEVIL tried to take my son. with the help from friends I fought him like a lion on a lamb AND I WON WE WON GOD WON… why i cant do it for my self who knows,, SO TRUE its the power of the cross… our pastor does maybe he should more often,.,, but i like that statement the POWER OF THE CROSS… we hear more feel good tinkle type sermons.. I am going to MAKE IT A POINT to acknowledge THE POWER OF THE CROSS.EXCELLENT BLOG
Great comments on this blog, Randall. You are so honest and transparent—something not many folks are today. We all fight this battle of “death to self” and it is only when we learn to tap into THE POWER OF THE CROSS that we can and will be successful. I’m like you…..I will have at least died trying. I once made the statement that “I’m going to die to self if it kills me!” and the Lord said, that is exactly the goal. Once we discover the power of the cross, we can agree with Amy Carmichael’s statement……”there is nothing you are asked to do in your own strength; not the least, nor the greatest.” Thanks for taking this journey with me. Glad you subscribed to my blog. Now every post will come directly to your email inbox. Blessings ~