Shrinking the Cross

If you’re a Christian, it’s because, at some point along the way, you became keenly aware of God’s holiness, your sinfulness, and your inability to bridge the gap between the two. And God, being rich in mercy, grace, and love, responded in that moment and presented the person and atoning work of Jesus to you. And, by grace, through faith, in the person and work of Jesus, you were made clean.

 

That's how you were saved (past tense salvation). But, did you know that the present work of the gospel is much of the same? To grow as a Christian is to grow in your awareness of God's holiness and your sinfulness. It's not that God is becoming holier or that we are becoming more sinful. Rather, our awareness of both is increasing. As this happens, we become more deeply aware of who Jesus is and what he accomplished for us on the cross. Thus, our love for Jesus grows and his cross looms larger in our lives.

If you find that your love for Jesus isn't increasing, it's likely because you're minimizing God's holiness and/or your sinfulness, thus shrinking the cross.

The following are a few ways that we practically shrink the cross of Jesus Christ (adapted from the CrossPointe Partnership Manual):

Minimizing: We minimize sin by comparing our sin to others who have committed greater and more heinous sins, rather than comparing our sin to a sinless, holy God.

Defending/Legitimizing: We legitimize sin by coming up with reasons why we're the exception to the rule. The problem is that "the rule" is moral perfection and there are no exceptions.

Blaming: We blame shift. We blame our sin on others (including our upbringing, our culture, and/or Satan himself) rather than owning up to the fact that we are the guilty party. It's taking the position that the problem is "out there" rather than "in here".

Hiding: Motivated by shame, we conceal things about ourselves. The problem is that God knows everything about us.

Escaping: We oftentimes run to the next movie, gadget, or project in order to escape the reality of our sin. We're afraid that if we slow down or stop, the reality of our sin might ring loudly through the silence. So, we run and run and run.

Numbing: We run to people and/or things to help ease the pain of reality and the horror of sin. This is similar to escaping. Yet, the goal is not only to avoid reality but to ease the pain.

Worldly Grief: We express worldly grief when we regret the consequences of our sin (the effects of the sin) rather than the sin itself. In this, we fail to acknowledge that ultimately, our sin is against God himself.

Unrepentant Confession: We confess our sin. Yet, we don't actually ever repent of our sin. Thus, confession takes on a therapeutic function without ever leading to godliness.

How is the gospel presently at work in your life? How are you growing in your awareness of God's holiness and your sinfulness? How is the Savior Jesus becoming sweeter to you and the cross looming larger in your life?

Jamey Vizzini
Lead Pastor/Planter
CrossPointe Winter Springs