This week we’re continuing the series “What the Cross Means for You and Me,” Letter #2 of The Nature of Freedom, adapted from Brilliant TV.
This article, as with the last handful of our articles, is based around Graham’s landmark book, “The Nature of Freedom.”
—
Let’s look today at the last portion of the “Futility or Fullness” section of Letter #2 from The Nature of Freedom: “What the Cross means for You and Me.”
In it, the Father says:
“Did you ever think of what the consequences are for Me, as His Father, in putting you in My beloved Son and in putting Him in you?
I can never see you in any other way!
This is wonderful to me! I cannot praise Him enough for what My Son did for Me on the Cross. He gave Me back My dream of having a perfect relationship with My people.
He restored you to Me in Himself!
Now nothing can ever separate you from who I AM for you.
There is no dividing wall because two have become one. By His blood you have peace with Me even while you are learning, failing, growing and changing.”
— “The Nature of Freedom,” from Letter #2
THIS is what your life means to God.
If you’re going to believe all of these things, then the implications for Him are that He gets to respond to you in Christ; which He loves doing.
It’s an absolute of God. It’s as if He’s saying, “I can never see you any other way, than to see you in Christ. And I will always respond to you, because I will always respond to my beloved.”
That’s the truth we want to consider today: What are the implications of the cross for God in who He is with us?
I remember thinking one day about all that Jesus has given and continues to give to me; to us. It’s so astonishing. The contemplation of it… the encounter of it… it’s endless.
But then, the question rose up in my spirit towards the Father. “Jesus gave all this to us… but what did He give to You?”
After a bit, I heard the Father say, “He gave me back my dream.”
You are that dream, beloved.
Everything He dreamed of in a people, everything He wanted to give you, to see you live in, it’s in Jesus.
That’s what Jesus gave the Father. He gave Him a life in you, and for you to have life in Him.
A life where you could live free of worry, or dread, or feeling unseen or unloved.
- A life with you where His peace could rise up and overwhelm anxiety.
- Where His perfect love could overcome all fear.
- Where His joy over who you are to Him would strengthen you when all your strength was gone.
He could have a relationship with people who were as peaceful as He is. As gentle, as kind, as powerful, as patient, and as passionate as He is towards us. People He could create with, laugh with and offer His comfort on the days they needed comfort.
And He would never, ever be separate from His people. For God, the cross meant that nothing could come between us.
Not in life or death; no ruling power; nothing from your past; nothing in your future or that’s currently present.
NOTHING could ever separate His love from you.
Your life is His dream. That’s what the cross meant to God.
It meant that He would always respond to your response to Him.
He would always be present. He could never change.
So what you’re response to that? It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s good to be astonished. Because who God really is… is astonishing.
What leaves you in wonder when you hear this? What do you marvel about? Maybe write a letter to Him of astonishment, of wonder, and of thanks 😊
—
There’s a lot more to this series, “What the Cross Means for You and Me“ which you can find on here on Brilliant TV.
Also, you can find the book that this series was based on in our Store: “The Nature of Freedom.”
