The Cross Is Still the Answer  

One morning I was doing the little online word puzzle I typically do each day, trying to figure out what that day’s five-letter word was. After two guesses I had determined three of the letters contained somewhere in the word while eliminating a number of others. As I prepared for my third guess, I concluded that the middle three letters were likely “ros.” I thought of numerous combinations of letters and options, but wasn’t coming up with any likely answer in light of the letters I still had left to work with. Suddenly it hit me – “cross.” I tried it, and it was the correct answer. Here I was, not only a follower of Christ but a preacher, yet the word “cross” didn’t even enter my mind for a while. Getting the answer in three tries isn’t bad, but I felt like hanging my head in shame that it took me so long to think of this word that is so vital to my faith.

The cross is the answer to many of life’s puzzling questions. When I refer to the cross, I am talking about how Jesus gave His life as the sacrifice for our sins, taking on Himself the punishment we each deserved, and satisfying the justice of a holy God. It was a pivotal event that answers key questions about God, the meaning of life, God’s love for us, Jesus’ purpose in coming to this earth, and especially the question about how we can get our hearts right with God. Christ’s sacrificial death is not only a central tenet of the Christian faith, but it is a primary component in dealing with so many issues we face in life.

However, many people are like I was as I worked that word puzzle. They think of a host of other options without giving any real consideration to the cross as the answer. It is not even on their radar. Others have thought about the cross, but have rejected it as a valid choice. It may not fit in with their worldly wisdom or their philosophy of religion. They may view it as some outdated, weird belief. There are even those who claim to be adherents of the Christian faith who have rejected the idea of the cross as being the answer to the questions about sin and salvation. They see salvation coming through loving others and treating people right. Such good works should be manifested in our lives, but they are not what saves us. They are the fruit that springs from our having been saved through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Let’s be careful that we don’t allow ourselves to be deceived and drawn away into any of these ideas that would diminish the role of the cross and the death of Christ in our salvation. Listen closely to what is being taught and proclaimed about the cross by churches and ministers. Make sure it is Christ and Him crucified being preached and not simply some religion of the goodness of man or of our being saved through our good works.

Additionally, even though we may not reject the idea of Jesus dying for our sins, let’s not allow the significance of the cross to drift into the background of our faith. We can allow other things, even religious activities, to become more prominent in our lives to the point that we lose some of our affection for the cross or fail to give it the attention it deserves. Let’s keep cultivating the spirit expressed in a beloved hymn that declares no matter what others do, we will still cherish and cling to that old rugged cross.

Nothing can take the place of the cross. It is still the answer today.