Do you feel distant from God? How can we break down the wall between us and God? How do we get a fresh start?
Believe it or not, the cross upon which Jesus died is great news that can lead you the solution and bring you into a right relationship with God!
You’ve likely heard about the cross of Jesus, but what makes it so great? The simple word “CROSS” can tell us why. The CROSS, like the “X” which marks the spot, says, “find it here.” Find it here, at the CROSS, where God loves you and offers you eternal life.
The C in CROSS is for Christ.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross.
The Bible says, “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
There are three things we need to remember about Christ: The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God, He was without sin, and He died on the cross.
The R in CROSS is for Reason.
The reason Christ died is for sin.
The Bible says, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous [that was Jesus] for the unrighteous [that was us], that He might bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
The Bible, our conscience, and the Law of God (Ten Commandments) reveal that we have fallen short of God’s standard of perfection. From the beginning until today, all people are guilty before God because of their sin.
The O in CROSS is for Outcome.
The outcome of sin is death.
The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Wages are what we earn. The earnings of sin spoil everything we do. The outcome or wages of our sin results in death. Physical death separates us from life here and spiritual death separates us from the goodness of God in the hereafter. This is bad news, but the next letter contains good news.
The S in CROSS is for Substitute.
The Bible says, “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus took our sin upon Himself and suffered what we deserved. Jesus’ sacrifice displays God’s loving mercy and righteous justice as no other action could. He then proved He was God and defeated sin by rising from the dead where he was seen by many people. He offers forgiveness of our sin as a free gift.
The last S in CROSS is Salvation.
Because Jesus is our substitute, He is the only one who can offer salvation. Salvation includes forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life.
But how is this possible?
To have forgiveness and eternal life you must repent, believe, and receive. It’s like three branches joined together, making one living plant.
The Bible says, “Repent and turn back, that your sins may be wiped out” (Acts 3:19). Repentance is turning your back on sin and toward God. It’s changing your view of sin, yourself, and God.
To believe and receive, the Bible says, “To all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Believing and receiving means trusting Christ alone for salvation.
Would you like to trust Christ alone for eternal life?
Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sin and then rose from the dead. Please forgive me of my sin. I now confess You as my Lord and Savior and trust You alone for my salvation. Thank You for the free gift of eternal life. Amen.
Congratulations!
You have just made the most important decision of your life. Receiving Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! Get to know Him better in a number of ways:
- Follow Christ’s example in baptism.
- Join a church where you can worship God and grow in your faith.
- Get involved in Bible Study with your church
- Begin a daily personal worship experience with God where you read the Bible and pray.