April 9, 2017 - "The Meaning Of The Cross"

Chaplain’s Corner

April 9, 2017

The Meaning of the Cross

Greetings, Patriots!

It’s Sunday, April 9, 2017, and it is officially “Palm Sunday.” I was moved by the services this morning at Valley Mills Christian Church, as our Pastor, Bob Beltz reminded us what the Cross of Calvary should mean to us. I was especially moved when he tried a new idea to help drive home the purpose of the Cross. The ushers handed out “post-it” notes to each of us and we were asked to put on them whatever we wanted, suggesting either a sin that God has helped us with, or that we still need help with, or thanks to Him for something in our lives that the saving Grace of God has blessed us with. I filled out my note, as others did, too. He then asked us, as we spent some time in reflection, before we had Communion, to come forward and stick the note on the cross, as we had three wooden crosses spread out in front of the three major sections of the Sanctuary. This would be a symbolic way of giving our troubles over to God, or offering our thanks to Him by the power of the finished work of the Cross. It took a minute or two for the people to start moving, but once a few went forward to stick their note to the cross, suddenly everyone wanted to join in, and the lines started forming, and the crosses were covered in a beautiful array of colorful notes.

It was a powerful moment to put a visual to the power of the Cross, and to put our faith and our love and appreciation for Jesus at the foot of the Cross. It is so important to know and understand the “why” behind the Cross, so that we can appreciate the great power that it has in our lives. It is all about God’s great love for us, and our pitiful and sinful condition as we are born into this world. We are separated from the Holy God of purity and righteousness Who created the universe. He is pure, holy, just, and all-powerful. His holiness is so great that He cannot be approached by unclean, unholy, sinful man. We lost that right to intimacy with God when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit. When they sinned against God, they ceased to be perfect, and in so doing, lost the power to pass perfection down to us as their offspring. All of their children, grandchildren, etc. could only be as good as the flawed parents they came from. Sin is not always an act of aggression. Sin is defined as “missing the mark of perfection” and so everyone who is born of man is sinful from birth, simply by not being perfect.

No matter how “good” we may try to be, we cannot change our very nature, which is flawed from birth, and so we cannot “earn” our salvation or relationship with the Holy God by our works alone. The Bible says that all of our “good works” are as filthy rags before a holy and chaste God.  Our efforts to approach God on any of our own merits is an exercise in futility. Yet, He loves us so much that He craves a relationship with us! The Bible says: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5: 8 NIV “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that  everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3: 16 - NIV “…neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be  able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our  Lord.” - Romans 8: 39 NIV

If you think that simply being a good person or following the 10 Commandments is all you have to do to be saved, consider this: “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2: 15, 16 - NIV “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depends all the law and the prophets.” - Matthew 22: 36 - 40 RSV “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ " - Galatians 5: 14 - NIV

Can you see, then, that obedience to written rules is not the way to salvation, but accepting the free gift of God’s saving grace is? Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and His finished work on the Cross of Calvary as the payment for your sin debt, and becoming a new creation in Christ is the start of a real relationship with God. Then, we will find that as we strive to show the ultimate love for our God and our neighbor, we will no longer be tied down to written rules and regulations. Everything we do will be based on that all-encompassing love for God and neighbor. If you truly love God, you will not worship the false gods of this world, such as money, power, fame, and self. If we truly love our neighbor as ourselves, we will not need laws to tell us not to murder, steal, bear false witness, or covet. In this flesh, which is still imperfect, we will still be capable of sinful acts and thoughts, but as we grow in our relationship with the Holy God, with the help of the Holy Spirit making changes in our hearts and minds, we will find ourselves little by little overcoming our flesh and living a Godly life. Daily prayer and study of His Word will keep us “plugged in” to power our spiritual revival, and we will start to really experience the joy of the Lord in our everyday lives, even in the midst of tragedies, sorrows, and disappointments in our fleshly lives. We will start to live by the Spirit, and see things from a spiritual bent, and begin to understand complete surrender to God and His work in our lives. We will no longer be slaves to worry and stress, as Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As we live in this dirty old world, we will find comfort in James 1: 2 - 5, which says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

In this Easter season, let us remember the reason we celebrate: He Is Risen! Ours is a living Savior, and He has paved the way to our salvation and a real relationship with God. Let us embrace that, be thankful for it, and spread the love to others as we seek to follow the example of our Lord Jesus in our everyday lives.

God bless you, every one, and:
God Bless America!
Stephen King
Chaplain@3upi.com