Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Yesterday we focused on not conforming to the world, but rather, being transformed continuously, renewed and made new. Throughout the month we have discussed the great love our Father has for us and the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. And we end the month returning to the message of the cross.
The cross is more than just a symbol that the Christian church uses or a decoration at the front of a church sanctuary. It is a reminder of the life we once lived. It represents the sacrifice He made for our sins, taking our place upon the cross where we should have hung. We have no right to be free – we are all sinners and none of us are holy and righteous. But He loved us regardless of that fact and He took the punishment for sin upon Himself in our place.
As a Christian we cannot boast in ourselves because we did nothing but believe He died for us. But we CAN and SHOULD boast in the cross. Boasting involves recognizing what He did – the hope and our salvation – and being made new through the atoning work He did. We reject boasting about anything other than the cross and Christ crucified because it is by His stripes we are healed and by His blood we are washed and restored. There is absolute atonement in the death of Jesus and we have been set free, transformed, and renewed. The world’s values, its allure and temptations no longer drive us or distract us because we have the Holy Spirit with us to aid with discernment and understanding.
The world and all of its appeal has been nailed to the cross along with our Savior. Paul says the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. We now need to live like that, free of the bonds of sin. We are now new creations, children of God who boast in the cross and what He did on it. We are now dead to the influence of the world and alive in Him!
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