Glory in the Cross: Part 2

It’s Sunday TiMP Nation and hopefully you have all been safe, healthy and blessed. Well, we are back with our series on “Glory in the Cross”. Now, hopefully you took the time to read our study text in between our Resurrection Sunday pause. If you recall from our introduction lesson, our scriptural text was taken from Galatians 6:11-15. Paul is concluding his letter to the churches in Galatia and noting why we should look to the cross of Jesus. If you noticed in my prior writing, the intent was to take our focus off the material or symbolic cross and place our focus on Jesus and most importantly the act of what happened at the cross. It’s vital regarding the path we are going to take in this study that you get this point. It’s the same point Paul was trying to drive home to world and most certainly believers in his writings hundreds of years ago.

Some of you may recall a few years back God had me teach on the cross. I recall God had me make the point that even those who are not saved wear crosses and so how would one really tell the difference between an unsaved or saved person. The point was the cross you wear or place in your home is actually an indicator of nothing. Now in that time the Holy Spirit has tremendously blessed in evolving my learning and understanding towards the material cross or symbolic cross. In my description of how I saw glory in the cross from our last lesson, some of you may have taken it as the cross is important, so therefore you need that. Others I hope may have noticed I was not describing a cross at all nor was I elevating one. I was describing Jesus and what His actions at the cross represented to me personally.

At this point some of you are either wondering or questioning why am I taking issue with the material or symbolic cross. Assuredly the cross as we’ve been taught, should be revered and to much a degree worshiped and elevated above most things. Most of us as I once did, hold or have held the cross in the highest regard for our entire lives. It’s quite literally engrained in the fabric of who we are as Christians. Even the world if not saved or a professed believer acknowledges God through a cross. I mean let’s be clear, crosses are everywhere. We find them in most churches, homes, cars, statues, schools and even on some of our bodies, whether as a tattoo or an adorned necklace. Even I have one on my arm and personally and spiritually regret getting one. I even had to repent and ask your forgiveness for putting one on this website, thus it has been removed. Why might you ask? Because NO ONE who is a BELIEVER in JESUS CHRIST, THE RISEN SAVIOR and Son of GOD THE FATHER should want to have anything to do with a cross! Except to give God glory for His victory over it and be willing to die on it in pursuit of following Jesus! One of the most misunderstood scriptural text among many is Luke 9:23-26, Jesus is teaching on the cost of discipleship and says to the multitudes gathered, 23“Then He said to them all, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels”. On the surface it looks like Jesus is speaking to common difficulties, burdens, worry, even the weight of sins in our lives. Also, most by seeing the word cross interpret as reference to a material or even symbolic cross. But actually, this teaching refers to dying to one’s self. This has both spiritual and literal meaning from Jesus. In other words, through salvation in Jesus Christ spiritually killing your sinful self/nature and surrendering one’s self to the authority and lordship of Jesus Christ. This denying of one self was getting rid of the condemned person you were before accepting Jesus and everything that comes along with serving Him. This service may literally include walking away from everything you love and hold dear, mother, father, brother, sister, kids, spouse, money, fame etc... Even the willingness to be humiliated and lose your life to uphold the gospel and the name of Jesus. We find this teaching repeated throughout the new testament (ref. Matthew 16:24-27, Mark 8:34-38, Luke 14:27).

With a bit of research, you will find the word cross or reference to it, around 27-45 times in biblical scripture. In every instance it was to foretell what would happen or what happened to Jesus, and that was death at the cross. More importantly the sacrifice, glory and victory of what Jesus accomplished at the cross. What you will not find is any reference to anyone in scripture wearing or adorning a cross in anyway as a representation of God, Jesus or the establishing of the Christian faith. In every instance the bible is clear the only focus to be carried with you is Jesus. Not some carved out wooden or metal trinket. As a matter of fact, God’s word takes the opposite approach, here is what God had to say in the old testament, this was not only a direct command to the Israelites but to us today as well. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments Exodus 20:4-6 KJV.

Here is what God says in Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols (Also read Leviticus 26:1). Yes, having a cross or a cross depicting Jesus on it, or rosery, or anything else for that matter from candles to virgin Mary is idolatry!! Now some may say that was old testament we can do things differently since Jesus came. Well, here is what God says in the new testament, 1Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT. Now coming back to Paul in the book of Acts chapter 17 we find him preaching in Athens also debating with and trying to reason to the Jews, God fearing Gentiles and philosophers. Why? Because everywhere he looked, they had idols in the city. Paul is trying to tell them about Jesus and His resurrection. In verses 27-29 KJV