"The Church has so many items in her shop window that the cross is no longer noticed.”
How true is the above statement? Is it a major defect in the church today?
God instructed the Israelites that when they entered the Promised Land the altar was to be built in a specific way and no trees were to be planted around it so as to possibly obscure its sight.
24 "You will make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offereings and your peace offerengs, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
25 And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.” (Exodus 20:24-25)
No modifcation of the building materials for the altar was allowed.
Any modification done or added by human hands would be a defilement of the altar.
Likewise, the cross (the altar upon which Jesus offered Himself) does not require or need any modification. It is to be left as is.
Also, no trees were to be planted around the altar that might obscure it in any way.
21 "You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make for yourself.” (Deut 16:21)
NOTHING was to distract the people's attention from the altar.
There was no place for human ingenuity or art or asthetic improvements.
If the cross is in the middle of the Church's shop window then it should not be modified by human hands in any way and nothing should be added around the cross that might obscure it
The cross should remain stark and plain just as the actual real life crucifixion of Jesus was stark.
The cross anchors the Christian faith to history and either REALLY HAPPENED or didn't.
23 "But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,” (I Corinthians 1:23)
The real source of strength and wisdom for the Christian lies in the cross.
Hebrews 10:14 (*NIV)
14 "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
The NASB says "He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
The verb "has perfected" appears in the perfect tense, meaning,
- Only once was this sacrifice to be offered and never repeated
- It was a perfect sacrifice that would completely perfect all those who put their faith in it.
- What Jesus has done by this sacrifice, and its effect in us, is perfect, complete and forever.
- Nothing has to be added to this sacrifice nor taken from it ”“ it is complete and final.
- This sacrifice will never have to be changed or modified.
(From "Atonement: Your Appointment With God" - by Derek Prince. Copyright 2000)
