Society Without a Cross

Introduction

Welcome to this edition of My Thoughts this week’s segment is called, “Society Without a Cross.” I will discuss imagining our society today if the cross never existed. I will be using many Scripture passages, but our foundational passage comes from 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

The City of Edmond, Oklahoma had for years on their city seal, a cross. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ACLU and against the City of Edmond on displaying that seal with the cross on it. So, eventually, they had to remove the cross from the city seal.

In the Editorial Section of the “Daily Oklahoman,” there were four or five responses, each in opposition to the actions of the Supreme Court. Some of them suggested every resident of Edmond erect their own wooden cross in their front yard. Another suggested every resident gets a “Magic Marker” and when the cross is removed from the seal, go and mark another one in its place. All of this is just another effort to create a society without a cross.

You Can’t Remove the Cross

Let me say this, they can take the cross from the seal, but they can’t take the seal of the cross from my heart. It was forever implanted there years ago when I got saved. They can cut my heart out and chop it into pieces, but the cross will still be standing tall in one piece.

The cross is eternally implanted in this universe and removing it from a corporate seal, or from the classroom, will not diminish its significance. I like what one preacher said while preaching about Calvary. He said, “There will never be another One. One was enough.” Let them attempt to take it out of society, but they can’t take it out of the Scriptures. For this edition of My Thoughts, let me talk to you for a while about the cross.

It Was on the Cross Salvation Was Purchased for Mankind

Here are two verses that prove the cross was for all of mankind. Both are located in the Gospel of Luke and in chapter 23:

• Luke 23:33, “An when they had come to the place of Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”
• Luke 23:46, “An when Jesus has cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.”

These two verses have these three meanings:

• The Cross Is Much More Than an Object of Which Mankind May Argue or Conduct Courtroom Scenes Over. It is much more than a governmental ploy to attempt to erase what they do not want to accept. The cross is much more than an instrument and companies may make a piece of jewelry everyone wears around their neck on a chain.
• The Cross Is the Means by Which God Used to Permit His Son to Die That Salvation Would Be Purchased for Everyone’s Soul. It pleased God to give His son for the sins of mankind.
• The Reason for All of The Legal Action. It is found in 1 Corinthians 1:23,“… but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.”

Stumbling Blocks and Foolishness

In 1 Corinthians 1:23, Paul called the Jews a “stumbling block” meaning a circumstance that causes difficulty or hesitation. In turn, he called the Greeks “foolishness” meaning lack of good sense or judgment. Let’s find out why Paul used those two terms to describe the Jews and Greeks.

The Jews

They were the religious crowd. They opposed Jesus for religious reasons. Some of the greatest opposers to the cross and Jesus Christ are those who claim religion of some sort. You can take a survey anywhere the cross is opposed, and you will find a religious element present. Religion is and always will be an enemy of God and the cross.

The Greeks

They were of the secular community, or the lost crowd. The lost crowd thinks that the cross is foolish.

• The cross is always foolishness to those who are lost.
• Cross says to the religious, “Repent or perish.”
• Religion responds with, “Don’t remind us of our sin.”
• Cross says to the lost, “Either accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or pay for your own sin.”
• The lost says to the cross, “We will take you out of our society, then we will not have to deal with you.”

You see, if there is no cross then mankind can conjure up his own method of righteousness. They were saying, “There is no need for such an absurdity.” Jesus’ finished work on the cross has no effect on the unbeliever.

They are condemned before God just as if Jesus had never died on the cross. Their condemnation will extend out into all eternity unless by faith they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and accept His death on the cross. It was on the cross, that salvation was purchased.

It Was on the Cross the Blood Was Shed

Here are two statements I would like for all to think about:

• The blood shed on the cross provides atonement for our sins.
• The cross was the instrument God chose for the shedding of the blood.

If we remove the cross, we remove the only atonement that will save us from our sins. When you take away the cross, you also take away the message of the cross. When the message of the cross is gone, there is nothing in the future for mankind but torment, torture, and eternal damnation.

I have two questions I want you to think about. Why would anyone want to remove the cross? Why would anyone want to take away that blessed old, rugged, blood-soaked cross that spells forgiveness for all who believe? They can take away my freedom, pleasure, comfort, and life but they can’t take away what the cross accomplished.

Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

It Was on the Cross Mankind Was Reconciled to God

In your Bible, turn to the Book of Colossians 1:20, “… and by Him to reconcile all things in Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

When sin came into the world, all things were removed from God. When Adam sinned everything was lost, but when Christ died on the cross, mankind was reconciled unto God.

Colossians 1:22, “… in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”

Blameless (amomos) means without blemish. If you have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, let Satan attempt to find some flaw or blemish, and he will fail every time. Above reproach or unreprovable (angekletos) means not to be called to account or held accountable. Satan cannot challenge the cross. He can’t challenge the shed blood. All he can do is to run from it.

Three Takeaways from the Cross

• If You Take Away the Cross, You Take Away the Only Connecting Instrument Between God and Mankind. On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 20:30). What was finished? The reclaiming of all that was lost by Adam’s sin in the garden.
• If You Take Away the Cross, You Take Away the Bridge That Fills the Gap Between Man’s Sin and God’s Righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” What most people do not realize, God did not have a backup plan. If anything happened to His first plan, then there was no other plan.
• To Remove the Cross from Society Is to Remove Christ from That Same Society. When we remove Christ, we remove salvation. Remove salvation, we remove our only access to heaven. Remove heaven from our future, then we have only one recourse to follow, the road to hell.

When the Supreme Court told the City of Edmond to take the cross off their city seal, they said, “The cross is not significant anymore. We do not need a cross. We are creating a society without a cross.”

This society or any society can remove the cross many times over. Then God will mark society as having rejected Him and His Son. God will turn society over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28). When a crossless society takes its full course, we will have nothing but a satanic, demonic, society of anarchy. Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it?

Conclusion

Two vitally important questions as I conclude this edition of My Thoughts. Suppose there was no cross? Suppose God had not provided a cross? Allow me to answer these questions:

1. If there was no cross, there would be no atonement.

• You and I would be responsible for our own sin debt.
• Do you realize the payment for the debt of sin is eternal death? Each of us would have to go before God and attempt to appease Him.
• How would you convince God you are worthy of His righteousness apart from His Son, Jesus Christ?

• There would be no escape from eternal punishment.

• If the cross is removed, nothing can stand between mankind and hell.
• All that stands between mankind and hell is the cross.
• Without the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. mankind would be standing on tissue paper, the consuming flames would leap upward, and snatch them into hell forever.
• If the cross goes, soon the church building will be required to go. Sunday School will be removed. Morning and evening preaching services will be ruled unconstitutional.
• The government interprets “Freedom of religion” as “Freedom from religion.”

I am Dale Van De Bogart and I fully agree on God’s Word!

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