Preaching Christ and Him Crucified

“For I determined not to know anything among you,

save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

(1 Corinthians 2:2)

Preaching “Christ and Him crucified” is more than just telling people that Jesus died. The important Gospel teaching is how Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Cor. 15:3. The Gospel defines not only how Christ died but why He died and what He accomplished by His death.

1.) Christ died as The Substitute (2 Cor. 5:21): As the Great Substitute, the Son of God took the sins of His people upon Himself and assumed their debt of sin. By His death, in their place, He effectually satisfied the penalty of sin for them. His blood paid and forever canceled their sin debt in their place, Colossians 2:14.

2.) His death was particular (Isa. 53:8): Christ’s death was never intended to put away the sins of everyone. He died for those that the Father chose and gave to Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-6).

3.) His death was effectual (Heb. 9:12; Isa. 53:9-12): Every person for whom Christ paid the sin debt was redeemed and simultaneously justified when He died. The price was paid so fully that there remained nothing but righteousness to impute to the account of those for whom He died.

4.) His death was complete and everlasting (Heb. 9:26): When Christ cried out “It is finished” as He hung on the cross [John 19:30] He was declaring that everything He came to do was fulfilled. He was declaring that everything necessary for the salvation of God’s elect was done. Redemption was accomplished. Justice was satisfied. The law was fully honored. Never again would there ever be any other sacrifice that God would require or accept.

Who will hear this singular, solitary Christ-honoring message? Those to whom God the Father gives ears to hear, drawn by the Spirit of Christ to Him, John 6:37. They are the lost sheep for whom Christ came, Luke 19:10. Lost sinners are unable to find their way back. It is Christ Who draws them back to Himself having paid their sin debt.

To tell sinners what they must do or can do to be just with God is a lie and one that has many falsely thinking that they are all right because they made a profession or are doing something for God through a dedicated life when in reality, they have never known the Way nor can they unless God’s Spirit teaches them, Romans 3:20. So many would rather believe a lie and attempt to justify themselves before God rather than confess, ‘I’m lost.’ They will not submit to the only righteousness that God Himself ordained, established, accepted and imputed to sinners at the cross, in the work of His Son, Romans 10:3. On the other hand, if God the Father has taught any by His Spirit that they are lost, they will confess that they are saved because the Father purposed to save them and did save them by the blood and righteousness of the LORD Jesus. They are drawn to Christ by His Spirit because they were already redeemed and justified at the cross. Faith is the fruit of justification, not the cause. This is the glorious message of Christ and Him crucified!