To God be the Glory FOREVER, AMEN AND AMEN! ! !: Just Jewelry?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Just Jewelry?

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Galatians 6:14

Some Christians make it a habit to wear a cross. It may be on a necklace or a lapel pin. It may be worn thoughtlessly as a decoration or prayerfully to let people know of the wearer’s personal faith.

In April 2006, a Methodist church in the city of Dudley, England, found out that it would have to pay a fee to put a cross on its new building. Yes, a fee was required because under British law the cross is an advertisement. It proclaims to the world, whether on a person or a building, that the blood-stained cross of Calvary is our only hope of forgiveness and salvation.

Our Bible reading today tells us of the cross—the instrument of execution used on our Savior (Matt. 27:22-26). The crowd in anger shouted, “Let Him be crucified!” The cross is a sign of His death, and must not be taken lightly. This should cause us to examine what the cross means to us. Is it a witness to our eternal hope in the saving death of Jesus on Calvary?

While wearing the cross may be a challenging mark of discipleship, far more challenging is our Lord’s command that we “take up [our] cross daily” and learn what it means to follow in His footsteps (Luke 9:23). And that includes a willingness to practice costly discipleship.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,”
I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice
When Jesus gave His all?

Because Jesus bore the cross for us, we should be willing to take it up for Him.

posted by I love Jesus! ! ! @ Monday, March 24, 2008