21/09/2025 - Zeke Murley
Scripture
Romans 5:6–8
1. The Cross Misunderstood
- Not Manipulation:
- We think it’s manipulative because we make sin small and hell hypothetical.
- Like tackling a blind man out of traffic—looked harsh until he saw the truck.
- God saved us while we were still sinners.
- Not Murder:
- Jesus wasn’t a victim or martyr; He gave His life willingly (John 10:17–18, Mark 10:45).
- Victims don’t choose; Jesus chose every whip, nail, and insult.
- He’s not a victim—He’s the Victor.
- Not Myth:
- If Jesus is a myth, so is salvation.
- Eyewitnesses, historians, and the apostles’ deaths prove otherwise.
- It’s not a myth that He died, rose, and saves.
2. What the Cross Really Is
- Mercy:
- Jesus met our real guilt, not just our felt needs.
- Deny sin → despise mercy.
- The more you see your sin, the more amazing His mercy becomes (1 Tim 1:15–16).
3. The Gap
- Look back, look now—see the gap between who you were and who you are.
- That gap is not your work; it’s Jesus’ work in you.
- Christian with No Gap: Be warned—you may have settled for religion, not salvation.
- Christian Who Sees the Gap: Be grateful—every step is mercy on display.
- Non-Christian Who Sees the Gap: You’ve tried to fill it with success, pleasure, or works. You can’t. Only Jesus bridges the gap—He is the gap-filler.
Closing
The cross isn’t manipulation, murder, or myth. It is mercy.
And mercy fills the gap between you and God—forever.
