When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

(A Comment on the Open Ceremony of Paralympic, London 2012)

Rev. Prof. Enoch Immanuel A. Agbozo

Dearly beloved brethren of the Human Race, greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Saviour of the world, Redeemer of the human soul-spirit, peoples and nations.

We write this piece in response to the spiritual statement made and the philosophy and direction to the human race presented at the opening ceremony of Paralympic London 2012, Wednesday, August 29, 2012.

Spiritually speaking, the ceremony hailed, extolled and promoted the Eve-Adam decision to EAT of THE FRUIT of the TREE of the KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil to make man independent of God, autonomous and self-reliant in knowledge and power as God of creation and the universe. The open counsel in the story is that THERE ARE UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES for man in knowledge, science and human adventure and exploration. That man has hope of overcoming the universe and become fully established in control as God of the universe. The subtle declaration – MAN FIND and BE YOURSELF….you can be God of the universe, brought to my mind the spiritual significance of the CROSS and FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

Please read on for Life and Light, Victory, Joy and Hope for the new man in Christ. The second Adam man can rise in stature and glory in the Divine Nature and take part in the Divine ordered control of the universe in Christ.

Christ put on flesh, nailed the fallen man in captivity on the cross. He opened the heavenly door to True and Full Divine Nature for man for service as Priests and Kings in Christ’s reign and rule of the universe. There is no way for fallen Adam to rise above his weakness, frailty and powerlessness to contend with re-programmed nature and the universe. The truth is that whatever happens God’s wrath and judgement abide on both man and creation. Unless a man is born anew he cannot enter the Divine heavenly realm of truth, power and authority.

We open the discourse with King David’s confession of faith and hope in God;

“I was glad when they said to me,

Let us go into the house of the LORD. Where the tribes go up,

The tribes of the LORD,

To the Testimony of Israel,

To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

For thrones are set there for judgment,

The thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

May they prosper who love you.” (Psalm 122:1, 4-6 NKJV)

King David not only recognized and celebrated Israel’s connection, worship and hope in God. He also envisioned the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour, Redeemer, Messiah and King, in whom dwelleth the godhead bodily and who would be given power to possess and control the earth.

The scriptures present Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God as the Spirit-Power and God of Life and Light, Creator and Lord of the universe. He is light of and to the world, Reconciler, Saviour, Deliverer, Healer, Redeemer, Restorer and Hope of Glory to the human race and rest of creation.

He came to deliver, heal, redeem, create anew and restore the human race and rest of creation to the original state of Beauty, Power and Glory as designed and set in place initially by the Father, Head of the Triune God.

Christ reduced Himself in power and glory, took on and identified Himself with the fallen human race. He offered His blood as holy sacrifice for atonement and remission of sin of fallen human race to deliver man from captivity to sin and death, condemnation, curses and damnation. His blood sacrifice on the Cross is also to deliver creation from the domination, oppression and control by Satan Lucifer the cast out fallen Archangel, deceiver of fellow angels and men alike. It is Satan the rebel and deceiver who lured Eve-Adam into eating the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil which in turn caused man to be cast out of the Garden of Eden and Divine status, and prevented from access to the Tree of Life.

Adam and Eve and with them all men born of woman are also cast out and fallen from glory. Salvation from sin, deliverance from curse, condemnation and death, the consequences of sin and redemption from the fallen human state ARE ONLY POSSIBLE WITH BELIEF IN, ACCEPTANCE OF and FAITH in the SHED BLOOD and RESURRECTION SPIRIT of JESUS CHRIST, in short, the Law of Life in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ according to the scriptures is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE of GOD and HOPE of RESTORATION of GLORY to the fallen human race. He came to seek the lost and perishing, to deliver and redeem the souls of men held captive to sin, Satan and death (John 3:16; Rom. 8:1-4).

The Cross of Calvary is the dynamic glorious place where the cursed, damned, diseased and oppressed captive soul of fallen man is to find deliverance and rest from pain and agony, from the curse and evil effect of sin and disease. The new birth in Christ offers victory over sin and the frailty and weakness, the helplessness of man and futility in his efforts which always find their end in the grave. Man’s works only end up in corruption and mortality, burial and futility in the grave. The glory of man and his so-called unlimited possibilities with human spirit and mind power, knowledge and wisdom, adventure, exploration and science in the vast sea of nature guided by the solar system is an adventure in futility. The grave captures human glory in total arrest.

Now, though the British adventures on the high seas and oceans, islands and continents have yielded precious stones, much gain and prosperity the British have not succeeded in making the British rulers of the waves through time. Great British must reconsider the loss of faith in and rejection of God and His Christ. The adventure on the high seas of America, Japan and China offer no guarantee of man’s power of control of the seas, stars and the solar system with their full array of divergencies and challenges on the supply and movement of air, water and sunlight. To exhort the British youth and youth of the world to continue in human adventure and trust in knowledge and science is to indulge in the Eve- Adam sin and death culture without certainty, without hope and without proof of life and light, Divine power and wisdom, mercy, goodness and sustaining spirit, strength and Divine guidance and hope in the subjection of nature and control of the universe. Successful rebellious and disobedient man cannot escape the death, wrath and judgement of God the Creator. Only the Cross and the new birth can assure this.

Except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it. The Tower of Babel demonstrates the power in the fury of God when man lifts his soul above boundaries.

The Cross is Divine provision of peace, love and power in victory over Satan-man rebellion and disobedience, non-comprehension of the forces of the universe, the emptiness, hopelessness and futility of human knowledge, wisdom and creativity.

The exaltation and projection of Eve-Adam rejection of God and thrust into MAN as GOD of the earth with unlimited possibilities with knowledge and science STAND IN STARK CONTRAST with GREAT BRITAIN that CRIES OUT GOD SAVE THE QUEEN at the games.

We are not worried therefore over the futile effort to make man God to and of himself. We are rather surprised about Great Britain that cries out loud GOD SAVE THE QUEEN and yet defied God in the full view of the world proposing to the youth of the world to BELIEVE IN and FIND THEMSELVES, CONTINUE with and follow MAN as GOD of the universe.

It is only through Christ and in Christ who is the Spirit-Power, Creator and God of the universe, who has raised and given man victory over sin, death, Satan and the grave, who has raised man to a new height of stature and glory with possibilities of Divine unlimited power and authority, knowledge and wisdom that the human race will regain credibility, security and glory as reigning and ruling power over the earth and universe.

Youth of Ghana, people of the world, BELIEVE and HAVE FAITH in CHRIST, THE CROSS and the RESURRECTION SPIRIT. HAVE HOPE in GOD. The Cross stands for LOVE, PEACE and HOPE IN GOD for all.

September 10, 2012

immanuelenoch@yahoo.com