By Precious Oli
Does the cross of Jesus Christ have any part to play in our faith and salvation or even the reality of our faith? I have been asking myself a lot of questions as I study the scriptures and try to engage the Holy Spirit to help my understanding. One such pressing question borders around the cross of Jesus Christ and its significance to my faith.
The cross of Jesus Christ as we know is not a physical entity rather an infrastructure in the spirit put in place as a divide between the old creature and the new creature. Don’t be overwhelmed yet, as we progress, you would be enlightened the best way possible on some terms and then we can come to a safe landing together. Are you ready? Let’s get to it
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what the hope of his calling is, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18
Why a message on the cross of Jesus Christ?
On one of our discipleship days, I was opportune to take the class on the power of resurrection. Phil 3; 10. Hence, I began my study and tried to understand a lot of things first that borders around the hunger level of Paul and the cry he made to the host of heavens. As I studied with my friend, we came to realize that one cannot jump into the topic of resurrection without first understanding the death process and perhaps other indices in between.
When I returned to my room; heavily burdened at heart, scriptures were opened to me and I took time to study under God and as I dig deeper to unravel the truth, my ignorance was laid bare before me. Then, the ultimate question which I asked them in class that day: what is the significance of the cross of Jesus Christ? Do you know the answer?
Unfortunately and sadly, the level of illiteracy we have in the body of Christ has crippled us so much that the very cardinal points of our faith are almost invisible and surreal to us. The average Christian does not even know why Christ had to die. If we do not know these things, how then do we convince sinners during evangelism that there is a path of righteousness created for them? We are not just called into faith to receive power alone. Rather we are called as oracles and priests, to study to show ourselves approved so we can be able to bring in many sons into the fold.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
Timothy 2:15
How much time do you delegate to studying the bible or even reading it at all? One of the resolutions I made recently have discovered how little I knew the scriptures by heart was to commit myself to a consistent reading of at least 20 to 30 chapters of the bible per day for a start. I know many more challenge themselves to read about 50 chapters.
Can I tell you the truth? Feeding your heart with the word of righteousness pays off, it keeps you abreast of all that is happening in the realms of the spirit. It helps your understanding of times and seasons and helps you navigate the path of destiny. There are so many treasures hidden in the pages of this book which we are yet to search out for ourselves
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Proverbs 25: 2
The cross and the love of God
This topic may come off as unusual and more of a theology concentration. Well, don’t forget that the tagline of this blog is a call to faith battle and the bedrock of our faith is what? The cross. The cross of Jesus reveals his true character and personality- Love and compassion for mankind. We must seek that our eyes of understanding be enlightened that we understand why Christ had to die and why he had to die on a cross. If we want to grow in godliness, we must grow in understanding the significance of the cross, which confronts the most prevalent and insidious of all sins, namely, pride.
The significance of the cross is not its design, construction, or purpose, but its symbolic meaning. It is the symbol of Jesus’ death. It is symbolic of the fact that Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven.
What other religions fight is the cross
We were to embark on a community project and one of the structures we erected required that we left our logo which had the cross. The community rejected it because of the cross, their alternative was that we could wipe away the cross and leave the logo behind.
I was shocked because I hadn’t yet had this understanding factored into my awareness that the fight is not just against Christianity as a belief system or a religion but against the crucifixion of Christ. Satan hates the cross because it sealed his dominion and his doom and rendered him powerless. Thwarting all his attacks.
Have you discovered that every cult teachings and false doctrines, first of all, attack the cross? I believe that the doctrine the devil is working so hard to erode from our faith is the existence of sin. If he can comfortably do that; then, he can equally convince people that they are not sinners who are under the saving grace of Christ neither do they need the crucified savior.
If he can convince Christians that they are not ongoing sinners in daily need of repentance and the cleansing blood of Jesus, then they don’t need to go deeper in appropriating the message of the cross. Thus the centrality of the cross is crucial to all sound doctrine.
Significances of the cross of Jesus Christ
- The cross of Jesus represents our curse taken by Christ-the confession of our faith in my denomination is that Christ died, Christ has risen and Christ will come again. There was no other infrastructure fit for the crucifixion of Christ.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” )
Gal 3:13
None which spoke more disdain and spite than the cross of Jesus Christ. From the Old Testament, it says that anyone who hangs upon the cross is cursed. Basically, by the effect of Christ hanging on the cross, he took up the curse of sin which he didn’t commit and bare it all for us. He became a curse for our sake.
- The cross is the great divide between the new creation and old creature: This infrastructure called the cross creates a disparity between the old man whom we used to be and fulfill its lustful desires before we met Christ and the new man whom we are now in Christ Jesus having confessed our sins and accepted him as lord and savior.
- The cross of Jesus Christ represents death to the flesh- The cross speaks only one utterance and that utterance is death. Death to anything that does not seek to express and represent Christ in you. When you are struggling with getting rid of Babylon in your mortal bodies.
Simply surrender that area of struggle to the healing and effective power of the cross. In your relationship with God, you will find out that there are some behaviors that are not consistent with the new creature. This is what the Holy Spirit does: he points them out and then allows the cross to emphasize its urgent mutilation and rustication.
The protocol of death is what every believer must pass through and it’s not a day’s event or a week or a month or even a year. It is a daily experience.
I die daily, I protest by your glory, brethren, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I Corinthians 15:31
- The cross is the remission of sins- from the Old Testament, the law that governs realms is the law of substitution which states that for a committed crime, there should be a purchase for total freedom. So, Christ gave Himself as a lamb offering to purchase us back from the mistake of the first Adam hereby becoming our high priest through whom we have access to the throne of grace.
This article did great justice to sin
And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood, there is no remission.
Hebrews 9:22
5. The cross is the center of the scripture- Without the mention of the cross, the word of God is null and bland. The fall of man from Genesis 3 necessitated the provision of the cross to reconcile man to his maker. Paul in expressing this says to the Corinthians “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and He crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2
- The cross of Jesus Christ ushers man back to the place of communion- the moment Christ bowed his head to death, the curtain of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom, and man had an express entry into the embrace of God once more.
Therefore, we need not worship from the outer court far from the hearing of God or under the mercies of a priest who sheds the blood of a lamb once a year for us to even as much as secure God’s favor and mercy. In your room now, you can freely worship and cry Abba father.
Read : Whispers of Love: Experience an intimate relationship with God.
- The cross of Christ redefined power and authority- when man fell from the sight of God, there was a change of authority that took place immediately between man and devil. There was an automatic shift of power to the dark side. With the death of Christ, having bowed himself to death in all humility, he took the name above all names and also made a public show of the devil
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Colossians 2:15
- The cross introduces the new covenant- before Christ came, there was a promise that the laws of God would be written in the hearts of men and not on tablets of stone anymore. The cross is the introduction of that new covenant for an eternal inheritance
And for this cause, he is the mediator of the New Testament that through death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15
- The cross of Christ paved a way for the Holy spirit to tabernacle with men- when Jesus was about to leave, he told his disciples that it was pertinent that he left so that someone else would come and stay with them and bring them into more truth. That person is the Holy Spirit. If Jesus had not died, then he wouldn’t have come into our lives. Do you see how easy the Holy Spirit makes our Christian faith? I hope you are engaging him daily
- The cross is the injunction for all believers- As Rutledge has said, “the crucifixion is the touchstone of Christian authenticity, the unique feature by which everything else. . . is given true significance.” There is no greater command given to our faith and its authenticity than the message of the cross of Jesus Christ. If anyone must follow him, he has to take up the cross and follow him daily.
Conclusion
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15
Do not delay to go to him if you need the cross to be applied to your life. The message of the cross is foolishness to the world for they do not understand how someone would give their son to be killed for the rest of the world who know him not. I end on this note, the cross represents love in action, in expression, and as a person.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 5:8
Are you ready to receive him?
Please leave a comment in the box below on your appreciation of the cross and what Christ did for us. What other significance do you think I didn’t write down? Don’t forget to share this post by simply clicking the share buttons.
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Thank you ma for sharing
This is holistic…. More grace to you,… the cross is indeed very significant hence the quiet fight by the enemies of the cross… Thank you