As I’ve sat in church over the years, I have often heard of my need for the cross. It is a reminder that I am a sinner, I need a savior, and Christ paid it all on my behalf. This reminder is good for the Christian, but even better when the Gospel message falls on fresh ears and repentance occurs.
But can I be honest? Sometimes this reminder in church does not help me progress in my walk, and I can often feel a little defeated when I drive home from church after hearing this message. Am I to continue to cling to the cross? Should I keep going back to that place I once was at when I was saved? What purpose does the cross hold in my life now that I am a new creation, a follower of Christ?
Defeat of our Sinful State is Only Once
We know the cross of Christ represents the most crucial and pivotal point of our salvation. It is that one-time moment where we acknowledge what Christ did for our sin, God has forgiven us of our sinful state, and we enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. The Spirit of God indwells in us and the work of his Spirit begins. We also know…
Death to our Sin Continues
Though the cross of Christ signifies death of our sinful state, we must continue to work out our salvation, becoming holy and conformed to Christ’s image. This is where salvation continues, a perfecting process that occurs over time. As Paul says in Phil 1:6, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Now What?
Now that we are a new creation in Christ, what is the truth about the cross for the believer? Because of the cross of Christ, we now can go to the Father, our God, our King (John 14:6). This is good news for the Christian! The gospel does not stop at the cross but continues at the throne.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
The throne is where we continue to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12). We get to take our struggles, anger, bitterness, pain, and sin to the throne, and God lavishes us with his mercy and grace. Only thing required of us? We need to go. It requires humility and whole-hearted honesty to go before our God.
John Piper describes our situation well in his article Desiring God: Draw Near to the Throne of Grace with Confidence
Every one of us needs help. We are not God. We have needs. We have weaknesses. We have confusion. We have limitations of all kinds. We need help.
So what can I do? I can try to deny it all and be a superman who doesn’t need any help. Or I can try to drown it all and throw my life into a pool of sensual pleasures. Or I can simply give way to the paralysis of despair. But God declares over this hopeless conclusion: Jesus Christ became a High Priest to shatter that despair with hope and to humble that superman or superwoman and to rescue that drowning wretch. Yes, we all need help…the throne of God is a throne of grace. And the help we get at that throne is mercy and grace to help in time of need. Grace to help! Not deserved help — gracious help.
What holds us back?
Not feeling worthy, shame, and pride to name a few. Another reason that might be holding us back is our natural tendency to hide. Hiding is what we are good at. And we do it well with each other. We put on a mask, try to pretend we have it together, or we do not want to display any weakness or sin. After all, no one else is struggling with what I am struggling with, right?
We even try to hide from God. Why?
Hiding occurred from the very beginning with Adam and Eve after they disobeyed God in the garden (Genesis 3:8-9):
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”
God sought Adam and Eve after they disobeyed. That is grace, mercy, and love. Their disobedience impacted all of mankind and the consequence of their sin continues to this day, yet it did not stop God from pursuing them, providing for and loving them.
God wants nothing more than to be in a real and honest relationship with us, every part of us. With Christ as our advocate, he is more than willing to forgive us, pouring out his grace, mercy and love on us, but only if we go to the throne.
“My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.” 1 John 2:1
All this may seem basic, but these simple yet pivotal points in the gospel can get lost on us as we sit Sunday after Sunday in church. And, as we can often feel down and discouraged about our struggle with sin, the enemy wants to come in and accuse us, not wanting us to unload our burden of sin at his feet.
The gospel encompasses both the cross and the throne. It is good to remember that Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father after his death. He died, resurrected, and ascended. He is alive! Death of our sinful state at the cross and life at the throne as we continue to work out our salvation before God. We no longer need to cling to the cross but rather we go we to the throne of grace and mercy.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1-2
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