Christian Life Center

A century ago crosses dotted the landscape across America. Today many churches do not display the cross on their buildings and city governments have tried to ban the cross on public property. Our founding fathers would be chagrined to see this happen. It’s the cross that made the difference between victory or defeat, hope or hopelessness, eternal life or perdition. History is divided by B. C. and A. D. There are those who want to do away with that significance but it is the cross that made the difference.

The gospel is the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Recently a missionary was asked by a young man what the difference is between the Red Cross and the Christian cross. Likewise, many throughout the world and in America are ignorant of the power of the cross.

In almost four decades of ministry I’ve stood in many cemeteries throughout America. This Memorial Day I’ll once again remember those who have died to preserve our freedom and walk by the graves of many of our loved ones. When I think of the thousands who have died, there is only one assurance of hope – The cross made the difference for multitudes.

On the cross the perfect man, the Son of God, gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Peter wrote, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2:24 NRSV). An early church father, Ambrose, wrote, “O the divine mystery of the cross! Weakness hangs on it, power is freed by it, evil is nailed to it, and triumphal trophies are raised towards it.”