Clinging to the Cross

In 1st Corinthians 1, Paul writes about the power of the message of the cross:
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

You could summarize the message of the cross by saying: humanity was separated from God because of sin, but Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, and our sins were nailed with Him to that cross.  He was our substitute on the cross - He died so that we might live; He died and rose again so that the power of sin and death might be defeated.  And, so we can live with an appreciation of what He did on that cross - the cross has tremendous meaning for us, because it demonstrates or us that love of Christ and we can draw strength by thinking about how much He loves us.

+++++

In Colossians 1, Paul writes about the preeminence of Christ and value of His sacrifice for us:
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Recently, during the flooding in South Carolina, Clara Gantt had a rather unique experience that can paint a powerful picture for each of us.

According to a piece on The Blaze website, on a Sunday morning, she was driving to church at Three Rivers Baptist Church in Irmo, SC, when her vehicle was overtaken by flood waters. The article cites a report from WIS-TV that she said that she didn't initially realize how bad the conditions were, but then suddenly realized knew that she was in trouble. She relates: "I said, ‘Dear Lord are you taking me home right now? Did you come to get me right now." She explaines that she instantly felt as though God was responding that she would be okay.

She couldn’t reach emergency personnel, so she called her family. Her grandson, Travis Catchings, came and got her out of the car, but the water was moving so fast that they needed to act fast to keep themselves safe.

Then, they noticed that the car had landed right next to a large cross.

She told the television station, “There was a little church right there. Where my car stopped was right beside a huge, red cross,” adding, “I was literally, after I got out of the car, holding onto the cross. I was clinging to the cross.”  She and her grandson clung to the cross for almost five hours until rescue workers came.

In a Facebook post, she wrote, “Thanking God for His mercy and power. He put my feet on higher ground. Praising Him in the storms of life. Thanks to all who have prayed for me and Travis.”  You can also see a brief video of the floodwaters and the cross.  Clara Gantt told WIS-TV that the story isn't about her, but that it is about what she believes God did to save her. She says, "Jesus is my savior."  The Blaze quotes a Huffington Post report that Clara survived with a broken ankle and was hypothermic, but she's doing OK.

This is an amazing story of God's faithfulness to rescue two people.  Add to that the powerful image of the cross, and that can produce some takeaways for us based on that image:

For one thing, when the waters rage, we can cling to the cross.  Even though we may face difficulties in life, we can know that Jesus is right there with us - He is not taken by surprise, and He is faithful to walk with those who call upon His name.

We also recognize that when sin abounds, we can rely on the cross.  Jesus died on a cross so that He might be our perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for sin.  He paid a penalty for our souls that we could never pay.  And, when we do sin, we recognize that Jesus is our advocate, and will stand with us as we confess our sins to Him.

We also know that when our faith is shaken, the cross reminds us that we have a firm foundation.  When we feel helpless or broken, without answers and losing hope, we can continue to hold fast to the promise of the cross, knowing that He is with us and will bring us the strength we need.

Finally, our faith should become so strong that it becomes instinctive to trust God when we face adversity.  God is present with us in our times of trial, and the cross is not only a representation of an ever-present, loving God, but as we recognize and incorporate thhe power of the cross, we can experience its truth in our lives each day.