DAILY DEVOTIONAL – JULY 1, 2023 Nothing but the Cross of Christ By Claude Houde

In Galatians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14, ESV). The crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord is the unique, incomparably central point for all of mankind and all of history. All of history is split before Jesus and after his work on the cross. It radically changed the whole world. However, it not only changed the world, it also radically changed us. So for how many of you is the ‘before and after Christ’ not just a historical thing but also a personal BC and AD in your life? The realization of the cross and Jesus’ presence changes everything. The cross is not only the unchanging reminder of God’s eternal intentionality but also his invitation into an eternity with him. Nothing before that invitation is comparable to what comes afterward. Everything that has been ruined and broken by men can be restored at the cross of Jesus Christ, and you would never want to go back. No one was better equipped to talk about the power of the cross than the Apostle Paul. Very few people had the level of formal training in religious matters and scripture than him. On top of that, very few people had a deeper revelation of the nature of God, salvation and grace; yet Paul also was a man who experienced some of the most incredible manifestations of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, visions, healings and visitations. He even talked about being transported in the Spirit to the third heaven. Despite all that, he declared that his message, ministry, mind, soul, heart, passion, priorities, convictions and preaching would all be fixed on the cross. The world and all of his achievements and accomplishments in it had been crucified to him. It was dead. That’s how much it was worth to him, compared to the cross. The glory of the gospel and his Lord Jesus Christ crucified on the cross and raised from the grave eclipsed every other thing in Paul’s life. Do we also live and think that way about the cross? Do we truly grasp how beautiful and powerful God’s work there was? Let’s be crucified to the world and everything it offers to give us value. Let’s fully embrace the cross and the glory of Christ! Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.