34When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.35For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.36For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
So important that we reflect on the significance of the cross. On the cross, Jesus laid down His life for us. Jesus became our substitute on the cross - taking upon Himself the penalty for sin. As we identify with the cross, we recognize that we are called to lay down our lives for Him. We are told that we are crucified with Him - we are to no longer live for ourselves, but to live for Him. He is now our life, because He has made salvation and new life available to us through the cross and through His resurrection.
In 1st Peter 2, the writer lays out the significance of the cross and the amazing power of what Jesus did for us there on Calvary:
21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:22"Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
Pictures have emerged from China on that country's version of Twitter, called Weibo, that show the removal of crosses from church buildings. Christianity Today, in its "Gleanings" section, published some photos, along with a lengthy report on the removal of religious symbols, even the demolition of church buildings, including a megachurch in the city that has been called, "China's Jerusalem," Wenzhou.
It cites a report in The Telegraph, which has chronicled the plight of Christians and churches in China's southeastern province of Zhejiang this spring, which reports that six churches so far have been completely or partially destroyed. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) lists 18 churches and two hospitals that have been targeted, demolished, or had crosses and religious symbols removed or destroyed. And China Aid documents the number of threatened or destroyed churches—in Zhejiang as well as neighboring Anjui province—at 64, with photos of many of the incidents.
This widespread destruction of churches and crosses has caught the attention of leading Chinese scholars, ministers, and lawyers. An impressive group of more than 50 gathered at Purdue University in early May to draft the "Purdue Consensus on Religious Freedom." Concerned by the lack of a "clear definition of and sufficient protection for religious freedom" in China, the consensus outlined China's need for more protection of religious rights.
Chinese officials, however, are stressing that demolitions are taking place because the buildings were not built according to regulations. But CSW notes that doesn't quite ring true when only crosses or symbols are involved.
Indeed, these are sad pictures depicting the removal of crosses from church buildings. And, even in America, there is a campaign to remove crosses and religious symbols from the public eye. Remember, a Federal judge has already ordered the removal of a large cross at a Veterans' memorial on Mount Soledad in San Diego. And, the saga of a small cross in the Mojave Desert was quite bizarre - in the midst of court action, the cross was encased in a box, it was ultimately deemed constitutional, but stolen, and after a delay, about a year and a half ago, a cross was placed back in that location. There have been numerous instances of Ten Commandments monuments or displays being contested, and an attempt to remove "In God We Trust" from our currency was turned back by a Federal court last week.
Such are the times that we live in. And, as you'll hear Dr. Ben Carson talk about on The Meeting House, it's important that we are not intimidated into silence regarding our deeply-held beliefs. We have the ability to speak out, and it's important to take the opportunity - that includes voting today.
And, in the symbolic sense, as some Chinese Christians have commented, according to Christianity Today, that the church is not a building. And I agree - the church building is where we meet, by and large, but the true church of the living God, is the people, connected through the blood of Christ, engaged in fellowship with one another and in ministry to the community. It is still chilling to me to see officials demolish church property or decor, but even though a cross might be separated from a building, the power of the cross cannot be separated from God's people.
The church has endured persecution throughout the ages - many have attempted to wipe out the witness of the church. But it has survived, and continues to in powerful ways. You can attribute it to the fact that God's truth is enduring, His Spirit is powerful, and His love is compelling. It's a testament to the presence of Christ that the church continues to make its impact on the world and that the people of God have the opportunity to grow in Christ.
So, remember - one may try to remove a physical cross, but the power of the cross still lives in our hearts. You might try to remove the 10 Commandments from a wall or display, but the truth of God's law abides in our lives. You may try to keep someone from saying or reading a motto, but we can continue to speak and mediate on God's Word. And, even if you're told you can't pray - God says you can; anywhere, anytime - He is with us!
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