Saturday, August 21, 2010

THE CROSS

Earlier this week I walked into my break room at work and the television was on one of the 24 hour news channels. There was a man on there representing a group of atheist his complaint was; in the state of Utah everywhere a state trooper dies they erect a large white cross and this offended him deeply. As there always is on these news shows (the reason I never watch them) there was someone on the other side arguing angrily for the crosses while he argued angrily against them with a news person in the middle. It got me to thinking neither one of these men understand the cross! Why are they so angry? Why does a group of people act this way over a cross? Why spend all of your time and resources fighting on television and in court over a cross? You see each of these men see the cross as a religious symbol and neither one understands what the cross represents.

In the time that Jesus walked the earth the cross was an instrument of death. Romans used it as a fear tactic, people from a concurred land where tortured then hung on the cross in full public display to die a slow and painful death so that all would know if you are against them, this is what would happen to you. You see God changed all of that, at the cross the worst that man had to offer met the best that God had to offer. If you’re an atheist you don’t believe in God and I understand that, but the cross is a symbol of love. Jesus allowed Himself to be captured, tried in an unjust court by sinful men, beaten and hung on a cross to die. He allowed this to happen to Him out of love. Now I believe Jesus is who He said He was, I have received His spirit and He has manifested Himself to me in many ways. Whether you believe Him or not He believed that He is the Christ the chosen one of God, He believed that through this selfless act of allowing Himself to be tortured to death on a cross that He was saving millions from punishment. He did this out of love. The cross isn’t the symbol of hatred and anger that people try to turn it into, the cross is God saying “I LOVE YOU!” (As we look at the history of mankind we see the walls the separation and the barriers that have been erected by politicians, by government, and yes even by religion. But at the cross we see that all people are the same irregardless of their religion, their color, their sex, and their economic statues for at the cross we meet the love of God. ~Arthur Blessitt) “God loves us, He wants everyone to be saved. ~1 Timothy 2:4 “He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone” ~1 Timothy 2:6

In the quote by Arthur Blessitt he said; “at the cross all people are the same.” You see all people are the same, some think there different but they’re not. Every person walking the face of this earth has the laws of God written on their heart, you know right from wrong. Do good people go to heaven? Yes, if there were any good people but there aren’t, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ~Romans 3:23” At some point in your life you have done wrong, I have, everyone has, and you’re not alone. There is nothing you can do to change that, no amount of good deeds going forward can make up for the things you have done wrong, you have to be perfect in thought, word, and deed to enter heaven. “The wages of sin is death. ~Romans 6:23” “All will be judged according to their deeds. ~Revelation 20:13” The bible talks about a second death the lake of fire ~Revelation 20:14. Jesus has paid the price for our crimes, He died in our place. “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced. ~Romans 10:11” All you and I and everyone else has to do to be saved is trust in the goodness of Christ and you will be saved. So pray to God today, confess that you have sinned, make Jesus your Lord and follow Him. All of your wrong doings will be whipped away and God will make you a new creature, with a new heart and new desires; you will receive the spirit of God. The cross is love, at the cross the worst that man had to offer met the best that God had to offer!