When the Cross is Removed, the Power is Removed

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Without the cross, the church becomes a social club.

There is a movement to remove all mentions of the cross and the blood of Jesus from hymn books and sermons to make Christianity more palatable, to appease certain sensitivities. Hearing about the cross of calvary has become too uncomfortable for Sunday mornings. Let this be a clear point: the foundation of Christianity is Jesus’ death on the cross for humanity and the blood He shed for the redemption of mankind. There is no power in Christianity without the cross. More than that, there is no Christianity without the blood of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the Bible and teachings in Christianity is not to make the hearer comfortable. The purpose of the Truth is to bring about change and righteous living. This usually begins with discomfort. We hear the power of the full gospel, and we experience dissonance—a friction between the way we are living and the message of righteousness. The full weight of this discomfort leads to repentance, a turning away from sin.

Hebrews 9:11-14 explains the whole matter: “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands… he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” The blood shed on calvary is the whole message of Christianity. It is the one element that brings you, that brings me, that brings all salvation. Removing the blood removes the power of the gospel. Everything else collapses without that essential part of our faith.

Perhaps you have been concerned with what others have called “slaughter house religion.” The cross was violent. What Jesus endured was gruesome. It is important to understand the dreadful details of the cross because it was done for you. You should know the depth of pain Jesus endured for your salvation. There is no way to make it into a Disney movie.

Think about it.

Are you in a church where the cross and the blood of Christ is being removed? Bring scriptures to church leaders. Implore them in love to reverse this trend and to teach the message of Jesus’ death on the cross. If you are unsuccessful, find a church that prioritizes the message of the cross.

Read about it.

Support your position on inclusion of the cross and the blood of Jesus in your home and in your church with scriptures. Read Hebrews 9:22, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Colossians 1:20, Ephesians 2:13, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 10:29, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 9:14, John 3:16, and Matthew 26:28.

Pray about it.

My Savior and Friend, I thank you for your death on the cross that rescued me from my own sin. You made that sacrifice for me, and I will not undermine the importance of it. Impress us to continue speaking about the precious blood that was poured out for our salvation. In Jesus name.