John 3:14,15
(And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)

Having spoiled principalities and powers, Christ made a public show of them, openly triumphing over them through His cross.

The serpent which Moses lifted up in the wilderness represented a means of deliverance approved by God at that time.

The serpent represents the essence of every religion concerned with humanity. But now, it is no longer the era of the serpent, the originator of the works of the flesh. It is the era of the Son of God, who can save to the uttermost, destroy the works of sin, and break the consequences of its curse.

Even though the way of deliverance was provided at that time, there were still people who refused to adhere to the instruction given through Moses and died in their predicament.

Likewise, there are Christians today who, after believing in Christ, will not bring themselves under the slaying power of the cross. They prefer to remain in their sins and eventually die in them.

Had the powers of darkness understood the cross, they would have recognized their defeat. But the cross is precisely where the defeat of Satan was announced and the victory of Christ was established.

Jesus died for the whole of humanity, but only those who receive His sacrifice and surrender their lives to Him will benefit from its provision and become part of His kingdom.

The sacrifices of Cain and Abel reveal two contrasting responses to God. Cain refused to humble himself before the word of God. He refused to accept correction or agree with what God had said concerning him. Instead, he allowed rebellion to grow until he murdered his brother.

This is the manifestation of the serpentine spirit: a refusal to fear God, abide in His word, and obey His commandments.

Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Whatever separates you from the atonement of the cross is not your friend. It works to keep you in sin and under its consequences, even while you claim to worship God.

A person may admit an offence and yet remain far from genuine repentance. True repentance requires surrender, and without surrender to Christ, salvation cannot be received.

The cross separates the seed of the woman from the seed of the serpent. It separates the redeemed for blessing while exposing and bringing judgment upon the generation of rebellion.

Those who offer sacrifice without obedience are no different from Cain. Instead of receiving the blessing of God, they remain under the consequences of rebellion and become wanderers, seeking deliverance apart from God’s appointed way.

They have become an accursed generation, seeking shortcuts to deliverance. They move from one church programme to another, attempting to escape the consequences of sin without genuine repentance and surrender, yet they obtain no lasting result.

They present sacrifice without obedience. Instead of surrendering to the slaying power of the cross, they attempt to approach God through their own sacrifices and self-made righteousness.

But no one without the wedding garment shall participate in the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Where, then, do you receive the wedding garment, if not at the cross of Calvary?

It is at the cross that guilt is removed. It is at the cross that self-righteousness is stripped away. It is at the cross that the sinner receives the righteousness provided through Christ.

The cross, therefore, is not merely the place of sacrifice. It is the place where the original curse was confronted, where the handwriting against humanity was blotted out, where the powers of darkness were disgraced, and where those who believe are separated from darkness and brought into the blessing of God.

Prayer: I surrender to the power of the Cross. Let it break me down and remould me into the purpose for which I was born. In Jesus’ name, amen.