Why the Cross is So Important

If you haven't noticed yet, I like writing/talking about the cross. And I will continue writing on this message for at least three reasons:

1. It's the only message that can save sinners (as it has done for me and countless others).

Romans 5:9 -- Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Ephesians 2:13 -- But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

2. It's the only message by which believers must walk and through which God's power comes.

1 Corinthians 1:18 -- For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 John 1:7 -- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 1:16-17 -- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

3. Only with a thorough knowledge of the true Gospel can we be alerted when we hear a false gospel. I want to spend some time on this third reason.

Bank tellers would waste a lot of time if they only studied the counterfeit notes. Although I think it is important to study the counterfeits (to notice the subtle differences), I believe it is more important to be completely familiar with the genuine bills. Otherwise they will have no basis on which to compare, and then they may be deceived into thinking that many of these counterfeits are the real thing.

The same is true of the Gospel. If we don't understand the true Gospel, we will fall for the counterfeits. And there are numerous false gospels competing for our attention. We fall into a trap when we assume that the fact that someone is talking about Jesus means they are a true Christian. And sincere Christians often make the mistake of assuming the person's message is trustworthy as long as they name the name of Christ. As a quick example, recall that the Mormon "church" (which teaches that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers and that Mormons will one day become gods over their own planets) changed their name to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Not only do they use the name Jesus but also the title Christ.

The Nature of Deception

However, there are much more subtle false doctrines out there for us to beware. Satan doesn't always deceive us with an outright lie; usually he just puts a little twist on the truth or leaves out a small part of the truth. Remember "the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field." (Genesis 3:1) He caused Eve to doubt God's word: "And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Also notice he added to God's word by saying "every tree" when God had placed the restriction on only one tree. He then blatantly denied God's word altogether: "Ye shall not surely die." And he adds his outrageous falsehood by offering Adam and Eve the knowledge of their own divinity: "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:1-5) Satan is still using the same strategy today.

Soon I hope to show some of the subtle differences that can deceive us into trusting another Jesus (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-7). For now I want to reiterate the true Gospel. We all come into this world as lost sinners (Rom. 3:23; 5:12), and the wrath of God abides on us (John 3:36). But God, in His infinite love for us, came "in the likeness of sinful flesh" and "condemned sin in the flesh" on the cross (Rom. 8:3). Jesus Christ bore our sins on the cross and sacrificed His life as a ransom for our own (1 Timothy 2:5-6; Isaiah 53:5-12). There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation before God; we can only be saved by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus Christ has already done everything that was needed. On the cross, He said, "It is finished" meaning that the price was paid in full (John 19:30). All that is required of us is simply to believe on Him and His finished work on the cross.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31)