T. Austin-Sparks · 1 of 2
The Cross in Relation to God's Original Purpose
"Far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).
The words which are to be the key to our meditation are words which are very familiar to you - "The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ".
We shall take a little time to consider some of the relationships in which we must see the cross if it is going to have its full effect in our lives, for the full power of the cross demands that it is apprehended in its full relationships. We shall never know the power of the cross, the dynamic of the cross, in any real fulness while we hold it down to ourselves, while we make our particular world (however needy that world may be) while we make our world of spiritual need the world of the cross. We will have to leave our ground, we will have to leave ourselves, and move on and touch some of these greater relationships, and then the thing will come back at us with something of its tremendous power. God is greater than our hearts, and the cross is vastly greater than our greatest need, and not until we have seen that shall we find that this thing, our need, ourselves, just loses a great deal of its importance. It is swallowed up, we are delivered, we have seen and felt the impact of the greatness of the cross.
God's Purpose Centred in His Son
So, in these greater relationships of the cross, I think the first is its connection with, or relation to, God's original purpose in this universe. We know now so well as a matter of truth, and doubtless also as a matter of faith, that the purpose of God, that great purpose of the ages, as it is called, is centred in and compassed by His Son; or shall I say by sonship, for sonship is something very inclusive. It certainly takes its rise in Him, the Son, but it embraces many as it goes on. Let us look at those words on this matter in the first chapter of the letter to the Colossians -
"...the kingdom of the Son of His love... who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell" (13, 15-19).
That is the first half of the matter where the universe is Christo-centric. Now comes the change, the other half.
"and through Him to all things unto Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. And you..." (20,21).
