WHAT MAKES YOU KNEEL AT THE CROSS?
The message of the Gospel centers around the cross of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Everything that a Christian has—“every spiritual blessing” (Eph. 1:3)—is all because of Jesus. Paul declared that he refused to glory in anything except the cross of Christ, “by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). When it comes to salvation, there is no place for human boasting (Rom. 3:27; Eph. 2:8-9). All a forgiven sinner can say is, “My hope is in Jesus.”
The message of the gospel is the message of the cross. Any message that emphasizes what man has done rather than what God has done is not the gospel. The Bible is a book about the cross. Any Bible student should be able to clearly see that the emphasis is Jesus. “But God demonstrates His love for us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). God gave all that God could give when he gave his Son (John 3:16).
The question is not, “What will God do?” He’s already done it. But rather, “What will I do in response?” Will I respond in trusting obedience or will I reject the cross of Christ? Will I freely accept his love and pardon or will I despise the cross and put him to an open shame? Will I try to save myself by my own efforts or will I hold on to the cross of Christ?
Everything that Christianity involves depends upon that “old rugged cross” of Calvary upon which the Savior suffered and died. The cross is the heart of the church—every aspect of the Lord’s body centers around it.
Go through the New Testament and observe how many times reference is made to the death of Jesus. This is for the very simple reason that the entire Bible is a story about the cross. From the first promise of the cross in Genesis 3:15, to the realization of the cross in the gospels, to the wonderful picture of salvation through the cross found in the Revelation, the Bible is a book about the cross.
Jesus said the truth about him would set us free (John 8:32). That truth is that he suffered, bled and died to pay for our freedom. Only when you and I appreciate the price that was paid at Calvary will we ever appreciate salvation enough to work in the kingdom. Isaiah, when his sin was forgiven, said, “Here am I, send me” (Isa. 6:1-8). That will be our response when we embrace the riches of God’s grace through Christ.
So it begins with the cross. There’s a grand old song called “Kneel at the Cross.” But what makes us do that? What makes us kneel at Calvary? In these articles we will observe three easy-to-remember things that will make anyone kneel at Calvary when they learn and appreciate them.
Dewayne Dunaway
