The Preaching of the Cross

Sealed by the Spirit, Saved by Grace


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What if the one thing you fear most—losing your standing with God—was the very thing the gospel makes impossible? We take a clear-eyed journey through Romans 8:38–39 and beyond to show why salvation that begins by grace through faith is held by that same grace, not by fragile human effort. No hedge words, no fine print: nothing in life or death, in the seen or unseen realms, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

We start where assurance must start: the gospel itself. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose the third day. That finished work satisfies the Father, so those who trust Him receive eternal life—not a trial subscription that expires with the next failure. We tackle the common pushback—won’t security promote sin?—by returning to the heart. Love changes motives. A believer doesn’t need the threat of hell to serve; a believer needs the sight of the cross. Grace doesn’t shrug at sin; it breaks its power by shifting confidence from our performance to Christ’s perfect obedience.

From there, we trace the freedom Christ brings to our deepest fear: death. Hebrews 2 declares that Jesus destroyed the one who held the power of death and delivered us from lifelong bondage to its dread. Romans 14 reminds us we belong to the Lord in life and in death. Earthly ties, even the strongest, can be severed by the grave. Christ’s love cannot. God’s promise through Jeremiah—an everlasting love—anchors the claim that eternal means eternal. If something could end it, it was never eternal in the first place.

Along the way, we invite you to let Scripture, not tradition, carry final authority. Set aside secondhand opinions and hear the text say what it says with full weight. If you’ve trusted Christ, walk out of fear and into joyful service. If you haven’t, consider this your open door to a love that outlasts every enemy and a life that death can’t touch.

If this message strengthens your faith, share it with someone who needs assurance, subscribe for more Bible-centered teaching, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your story of how God persuaded you may be the encouragement someone is waiting to hear.

Church Website — BibleBaptistDeLand.com

Ministry Website — JamesWKnox.org

YouTube Channel — YouTube.com/JamesWKnoxSermons

Sermon Audio — SermonAudio.com/BibleBaptistDeLand

Web Store — Store.JamesWKnox.org

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The Preaching of the CrossBy THE BIBLE Baptist Church of DeLand, FL