The Cross Is More Than Jewelry [Revised]

How many times have you seen a cross around someone's neck? In this day and age, the cross has become nothing more than fashionable. Rappers, pornstars, Christians, and anyone else wears one. You, YES YOU, have probably worn one. If not, you can be glad to know that the cross can be purchased as a necklace for a couple bucks or 1,000s of dollars. The cross is on necklaces, earrings, shirts, rings, cars, and anything else that has room to have it put on it. However, I fear that, for many, the cross is not where it actually belongs, in the heart.

Now, don't mistake me. A pornstar is as equal in wearing the cross as any Christian. Think not? Ever committed a sin while wearing it? If we do wear a cross, by doing so we should make Christ look valuable, like He is the most precious thing in our life. Maybe by the end of this, you will see that the cross is not about who can and cannot wear it, but is more about what the cross means.

At Anthem 2005, Craig Cooper spoke about the doctrine of sin. A part of his message pushed me to post this. He cited a story from his youth in which he was asked, "Is that cross around your neck real? Or is it just decoration?" He later went on to say this:

The cross is a declaration. It declares the holiness of God. It declares God is righteous and must punish sin. It declares the sinfulness of man. It declares God's love. It declares the righteousness of Christ alone. If we don't understand sin, then we cannot comprehend the need for the cross.

There in lies the problem. If we have lost an understanding of sin,
the cross has lost its meaning to us. Therefore, it is meaningless and is nothing more than the rest of the jewelry that you own.

When I talked to Craig after his message, he told me that those who meaninglessly wear the cross are doing nothing more than wearing an electric chair. What he meant by this was that crucifixion was a horrible Roman style of execution. So, take Christ out of the picture, and that is all you have left, a display of a means for execution.

Everyone has sinned. Christ died for that sin on the cross. Without Him, we are all equally viewed before God, unholy and unrighteous. If Christ isn't in your heart, it is worn equally. So, be you a church-going Christian or a pornstar, wear your crosses or don't. However, examine yourself. If you wear a cross, is it real? Or is it just decoration? Does it make Christ look like a precious treasure?