For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:18-20
A Friend of the Cross of Christ
Are you a friend of the cross of Christ? That might seem like an unusual question. After all, who would want to be friends with a cross? The cross was an instrument of suffering and death. Yet for Christians, the cross is the place where we see God’s greatest love.
The apostle Paul warns us about those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” They may not look like enemies. They may be religious. They may be successful. Others may admire them. But their lives are centered on themselves. Their god is their appetite. Their glory is found in things of which they should be ashamed. Their minds are fixed on earthly things.
Does that sound familiar? It can be easy for us to become enemies of the cross without realizing it. Whenever we make our own desires more important than God’s Word, we are turning away from the cross. Whenever we measure our worth by possessions, achievements, popularity, or pleasure, our hearts are looking in the wrong direction. Whenever we imagine that we can make ourselves acceptable to God, we have forgotten why Jesus went to the cross.
The cross tells us the truth about our sin. Our sin is serious. We could never make things right with God by ourselves. But the cross also tells us something far greater: Jesus has made things right for us.
At the cross, Jesus took our sin upon himself. He suffered the punishment we deserved. He gave his life in our place. He did not save us because we were good enough. He saved us because he is merciful. That is why Christians are friends of the cross.
We do not love the cross because suffering is good in itself. We love the cross because Jesus was there for us. The cross is where God’s justice and mercy meet. It is where our Savior paid the price for our salvation.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, teach me to look at the cross and see the heaven you won for me. Amen.
