CROSS: The Wilderness Before It

What does this mean, our being “in the wilderness before the cross?”  Simply put, it captures something of what our existence is here.  As sojourners, exiles, we find our place outside the camp, outside Jerusalem, outside those alleged strongholds along with our Lord, dying to the World and the World to us.  In this dying in (because of) Christ’s dying, there might be found then something of a genuine working of God in making us alive. 

The goal is not our getting as alive as we can, as if somehow we entirely (or almost so) put off mortality and corruption.  Rather, there is a proper ongoing dying, because of our being brought to the Cross; a dying that only the Cross itself can bring about and sustain.  What subsequent making alive that takes place is in spite of us, but only insofar as the dying is ongoing by the Sovereign (albeit merciful) hand.  Fact is, oftentimes, there is little of either genuine dying of self or divine life-giving going on.

Our existence now is before the Cross, where we are in ourselves naked (natural condition fully exposed) and yet not ashamed, for Christ alone is our boast and covering.  Amen.