The Cross: Why We Believe
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Please open your Bible and read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
The apostle Paul had impeccable credentials, education, background, and a position of authority. But when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, he discovered their absolute worthlessness. He learned that the only thing of eternal value on earth was that his Savior died on the cross for his sins. Paul understood this so well that he counted as loss all he had once seen as advantageous. (Philippians 3:8) Now his only boast was in the cross of Christ. (Galatians 6:14)
Paul attached importance, not to his own resume, but to a “criminal” on a cross and the blood He spilled there. Though this seemed foolish to many people, the apostle knew that the cross was where God kept His long-awaited promise: to provide a Savior. It was there that His Son stooped low and took on all the sins of the world: past, present, and future. The cross marked the place and moment that God’s judgment was accomplished and His mercy was poured out. At the cross, God’s redemptive plan was unfolded, sin’s power was broken, and forgiveness of sins was secured. By means of bloodshed and death, new life was secured for all who receive Christ as Savior.
Today the cross stands as a mirror to reflect our unworthiness but also to reveal the magnitude of God’s love. It serves as a magnet to draw people to the Lord (John 12:32) and a model of the sacrificial life. (John 15:13) A place of death has become a beacon of hope because it is there -through Jesus Christ- that we find salvation. (Acts 4:12)
Question: Do people often attach their self-importance to their own accomplishments? And if so what could be wrong with that?
About this Author: Charles Stanley
Amen. I love this perspective of what the cross means. A great reminder to all believers!