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The Center of my Hope, February 9
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world.
Galatians 6:14
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Remove the cross from the Christian and it is like blotting out the sun
which illumines the day, and dropping the moon and the stars out of the
firmament of the heavens at night. The cross of Christ brings us nigh to
God, reconciling man to God, and God to man. The Father looks upon
the cross, upon the suffering He has given His Son to endure in order to
save the race from hopeless misery and to draw man to Himself. He looks
upon it with the relenting compassion of a Father’s love. The cross has
been almost lost sight of, but without the cross there is no connection with
the Father, no unity with the Lamb in the midst of the throne in heaven,
no welcome reception of the wandering who would return to the forsaken
path of righteousness and truth, no hope for the transgressor in the day of
judgment. Without the cross there is no means provided for overcoming
the power of our strong foe. Every hope of the race hangs upon the cross.
When the sinner reaches the cross, and looks up to the One who died
to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned.
Kneeling at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man
can attain. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is revealed
in the face of Jesus Christ; and the words of pardon are spoken: Live, O
ye guilty sinners, live. Your repentance is accepted; for I have found a
ransom.
Through the cross we learn that our heavenly Father loves us with
an infinite and everlasting love, and draws us to Him with more than a
mother’s yearning sympathy for a wayward child. Can we wonder that
Paul exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ”? It is our privilege also to glory in the cross of Calvary,
our privilege to give ourselves wholly to Him who gave Himself for us.
Then with the light of love that shines from His face on ours, we shall go
forth to reflect it to those in darkness.
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