Seven Mile Road Philly

Crucified With Christ

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

We conclude our series on the cross of Christ by considering the truth that when Jesus died, we died with Him. Jesus died so that we might live. But Jesus also died so that we might die. The Apostle Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ." Jesus invites those who would come after Him to take up their cross and follow Him. The way of Jesus is the way of death. But gloriously, it is also the way to resurrection and new life.

Christ Crucified For Our Forgiveness

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. If that's true, how are we to respond? Jesus says that one way forgiven people need to respond is by being forgiving people. Those who have been forgiven a great debt to their king must be willing to forgive the lesser debts owed to them. Jesus tells a story about two debtors to call his disciples to be forgiving even as they were forgiven.

Christ Crucified For Our Adoption

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This week we consider the glorious doctrine of our adoption as sons through Christ crucified. It is one thing to cleanse someone from their filth, or to pay their debt, or set them free, or even to declare them innocent. And while God does all these things for us through the cross of Jesus, it is still more precious to be brought home as the children of God. Through Christ, we now have a new Father, a new Brother, and a new family.

Christ Crucified For Our Justification

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 02 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

When we stand before a Holy God, the Judge of all the world, only one word could describe us: “Guilty.” We have disobeyed God’s commands and broken His law. Like a guilty criminal before a Judge, we stand before God and the evidence of our sin clearly condemns us. Yet through the Cross of Christ, the most incredible transaction occurs. The guilt and penalty of our sin is placed upon Jesus. He dies the death we should have died. Then, if that were not stunning enough, by faith, the righteousness of Jesus’ sinless perfection is transferred to us! God declares us “Not Guilty.” In fact, He sees us through the shed blood of Christ and declares us righteous. What a marvelous exchange!

Christ Crucified For Our Suffering

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In a world of unspeakable evil and suffering, where does God fit in? Is God good but not powerful enough to end evil? Or is God powerful but not good enough to end evil? How can a good and sovereign God allow evil and suffering to continue? Today we consider these questions and listen as the cross of Jesus speaks into our broken and hurting world. On the cross, Jesus suffered for us and gave us an example of how we might face suffering well.

Christ Crucified As Our Ransom & Redeemer

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Americans get debt. We are enslaved by our debt. But the Bible says that we have an even greater debt and an even greater slavery. By the sins we have done and the good we have left undone, we have accumulated spiritual debt. Insurmountable, infinite, could-never-ever-pay-back, debt. And this spiritual debt has left us enslaved. Enslaved to the very sin that got us in debt in the first place. And though God owed us nothing, He has redeemed us. On the Cross, Jesus became our ransom and our redeemer. This Sunday we celebrate the incredible, mind-blowing truth that Jesus paid our debt and set us free.

Christ Crucified To Defeat Our Enemies

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Christ crucified certainly appears weak. A man hung helpless on cross – arms pinned down unable to resist his enemies. A man bleeding out slowly. A man running out of air. A man whose life ebbs away. And yet, the New Testament speaks of the cross as unspeakable victory. For it is on the cross that Christ fights His greatest battle…and wins! Jesus has triumphed over Satan, sin, and death. With His death, death itself has died! And in His resurrection, God has vindicated Jesus showing His work on the Cross to be complete victory. Today we share and celebrate the victory of Christ!

Christ Crucified For God's Glory

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Why did Jesus die? It’s a simple question and if you’ve ever been to church or Sunday School you’re sure to know the answer. Whatever words you use, the basic answer always comes back – for us. That’s right. That’s true. But could there be another answer. A higher answer. This Sunday we explore the idea that while Jesus’ death on the Cross was for us, it was first for God. Jesus died for our redemption, but more so, He died for God’s glory.

Christ Crucified For Our Expiation

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Sin produces guilt. But our sin does more than that. It also produces shame. The Scriptures speak of our sin using various metaphors like nakedness, uncleanness, and defilement. When we sin or are sinned against, our souls are stained, and we feel dirty. We are ashamed. And we stand powerless to clean ourselves or remove our shame. Yet the good news of Jesus is that on the cross, Christ was crucified for our expiation – for our cleansing. At the cross, our sin is removed from us and our souls are cleansed. Our filth is purged and we stand clean and unashamed in Christ. This Sunday, we consider the cleansing work of Christ crucified.

Christ Crucified to Absorb the Wrath of God

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The Bible does not shy away from revealing that among His other attributes, God is a God of wrath. Sin arouses the anger and fury of our Holy God. So then, as sinners, we are all objects of God’s fierce wrath. Our guilt has made us worthy of His judgment and condemnation. Yet in His incredible grace, God provided a way for us to be saved. He sacrificed His Son as our substitute. Through His death on the Cross, Jesus bore the wrath that we deserved. At Calvary, God simultaneously satisfied His wrath through Christ and extended His mercy towards us. The Cross then is the expression of God’s great hatred for sin and His great love for sinners.

Christ Crucified for Our Atonement

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The substitutionary nature of the death of Christ is in great dispute today. Many dismiss this as a barbaric and primitive notion. Others call it “cosmic child abuse.” Christians, however, call it atonement. Central to the Christian faith is the substitutionary atonement of Christ. Jesus died for us – in our place, as our substitute, for our sins. On the cross, Jesus was killed much like the sacrifices of the Old Testament. Great things have happened for us because terrible things happened to Him. This Sunday, we remember that Christ was crucified for our atonement.

Christ Crucified

Ajay Thomas — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

A man named Jesus hanging dead on a cross occupies center stage of the Christian faith. He had been executed like a common criminal in his day. To his fellow Jews, death by crucifixion was an abomination, a sign that he was cursed by God. To everyone else, crucifixion was a sign of pathetic weakness, a despicable way to die reserved for only the most despicable people. But to his followers, the cross was not what it seemed. It wasn’t foolishness; it was actually the wisdom of God. And it wasn’t weakness; it was actually the power of God. It was through the cross of Jesus that God would take away sin and redeem the world. And so, his followers grew in their resolve to center their lives, their faith, and their preaching on Christ crucified. One theologian said, “You do not understand Christ till you understand his Cross.” This Sunday, we begin a twelve-week journey to understand the cross so that we might understand Christ.