The Cross of Christ # 5

The Cross of Christ # 5

(e) Would I learn how to be contented and cheerful under all the cares and concerns of life? What school shall I go to? How shall I attain this state of mind most easily? Shall I look at the sovereignty of God, the wisdom of God, the providence of God, the love of God? It is well to do so. But I have a better argument still. I will look at the Cross of Christ. I feel that "He who spared not His only be-gotten Son - but delivered Him up to die for me, will surely with Him give me all things" that I really need. (Rom. 8:32). He who endured such agony, sufferings, and pain for my soul, will surely not withhold from me anything that is really good. He who has done the greater things for me, will doubtless do the lesser things also. He who gave His own blood to procure me a home in heaven, will unquestionably supply me with all that is really profitable for me by the way. There is no school for learning contentment that can be compared with the foot of the Cross!

(f) Would I gather arguments for hoping that I shall never be cast away? Where shall I go to find them? Shall I look at my own graces and gifts? Shall I take comfort in my own faith, and love, and penitence, and zeal, and prayer? Shall I turn to my own heart, and say, "this same heart will never be false and cold?" Oh, no! God forbid! I will look at the Cross of Christ. This is my grand argument. This is my main stay. I cannot think that He who went through such sufferings to redeem my soul, will let that soul perish after all, when it has once cast itself on Him. Oh, no! what Jesus paid for, Jesus will surely keep. He paid dearly for it. He will not let it easily be lost. He called me to Himself when I was a dark sinner - He will never forsake me after I have believed. When satan tempts us to doubt whether Christ's people will be kept from falling, we should tell satan to look at the Cross.

And now, will you marvel that I said all Christians ought to boast in the Cross? Will you not wonder that any can hear of the Cross and remain unmoved? I declare I know no greater proof of man's depravity, than the fact that thousands of so-called Christians see nothing in the Cross. Well may our hearts be called stony - well may the eyes of our mind be called blind - well may our whole nature be called diseased - well may we all be called dead, when the Cross of Christ is heard of and yet neglected. Surely we may take up the words of the prophet, and say, "Hear, O heavens, and be astonished O earth; an astounding and a horrible thing is done," - Christ was crucified for sinners, and yet many Christians live as if He was never crucified at all!

(a) The Cross is the grand peculiarity of the Christian religion. Other religions have laws and moral precepts, forms and ceremonies, rewards and punishments. But other religions cannot tell us of a dying Saviour. They cannot show us the Cross. This is the crown and glory of the Gospel. This is that special comfort which belongs to it alone. Miserable indeed is that religious teaching which calls itself Christian, and yet contains nothing of the Cross. A man who teaches in this way, might as well profess to explain the solar system and yet tell his hearers nothing about the sun.

(b) The Cross is the strength of a minister. I for one would not be without it for all the world. Let others, if they will, preach the law and morality; let others hold forth the terrors of hell, and the joys of heaven; let others drench their congregations with teachings about the sacraments and the church; give me the Cross of Christ! This is the only lever which has ever turned the world upside down, and made people forsake their sins. A man may begin preaching with a perfect knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew; but he will do little or no good among his hearers unless he knows something of the Cross. This is the preaching that the Holy Spirit delights to bless.

(c) The Cross is the secret of all missionary success. Nothing but this has ever moved the hearts of the heathen. This is the weapon which has won victories over hearts of every kind, in every quarter of the globe. Never indeed did the devil triumph so thoroughly, as when he persuaded the Jesuit missionaries in China to keep back the story of the Cross!

(d) The Cross is the foundation of a Church's prosperity. No church will ever be honored in which Christ crucified is not continually lifted up - nothing whatever can make up for the lack of the Cross. Without it all things may be done decently and in order; without it there may be splendid ceremonies, beautiful music, gorgeous churches, learned ministers, crowded communion tables, huge collections for the poor. But without the Cross no good will be done; dark hearts will not be enlightened, proud hearts will not be humbled, mourning hearts will not be comforted, fainting hearts will not be cheered. They may amuse some - they will feed none!  Whenever a Church keeps back Christ crucified, or puts anything whatever in that foremost place which Christ crucified should always have, from that moment a Church ceases to be useful! Without Christ crucified, a church is little better than a well without water, a barren fig tree, a sleeping watchman, a silent trumpet, a speechless witness, a messenger without tidings, a lighthouse without light, a stumbling-block to weak believers, a comfort to infidels, a hot-bed for formalism, a joy to the devil, and an offence to God.

(e) The Cross is the grand center of union among true Christians. Our outward differences are many, without doubt.  But, after all, what shall we hear about most of these differences in heaven? Nothing, most probably - nothing at all! Does a man really and sincerely boast in the Cross of Christ? That is the grand question. If he does, he is my brother - we are traveling on the same road; we are journeying towards a home where Christ is all, and everything outward in religion will be forgotten. Union on outward points only, is union only for a time - union about the Cross is union for eternity. Error on outward points is only a skin-deep disease - error about the Cross is disease at the heart. Union about outward points is a mere man-made union - union about the Cross of Christ can only be produced by the Holy Spirit.

I know not what you think of all this. I feel as if I had said nothing compared to what might be said. I feel as if the half of what I desire to tell you about the Cross were left untold. But I do hope that I have given you something to think about. I do trust that I have shown you that I have reason for the question with which I began this paper, "What do you think and feel about the Cross of Christ?" I will now, for a few moments, say something to apply this whole subject to your conscience.

~J. C. Ryle~

(continued with # 6)