DEVOTION: the Cross – the whole Cross – and Nothing but the Cross

By: Francis Banda

The mystery of the cross of Jesus is not a mystery at all.  Everything is laid bare for the lingering souls to search and to find. We are saved at the cross and by the cross.  We walk the Christian trail with the cross upon our shoulders until the day Our Heavenly Father calls us home.

I believe with all my heart that the Church must never let up on preaching the Cross.  We must preach the Cross – The whole Cross and nothing but the Cross as the instrument upon which our Saviour won our glorious Salvation.  Jesus dealt a deadly blow to the enemy when He laid down His own life to atone for our sins.

If anyone ever needed a reason to preach the Cross, their own salvation suffices. The modern day church has endeavoured to keep the Cross as far away as possible from the pulpits.  The politically correct Church is quick to dismiss the message as offensive UNLIKE Apostle Paul.

The carnal church holds their Bible as a blessing manual and would not dare preach suffering for fear of losing their congregations.  There is power in the Cross.  The power that washes us and cleanses us from all our sin by liberating us from the old covenants. This power makes us New Creations created in Christ because of the blood. Denial of the cross is a denial of the power that’s in the blood.

“For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that are lost, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God unto salvation” 2 Corinthians 1:18

Do not let the carnal church deceive you.  There is only one way to heaven and one way alone.  The way of the cross is the only way.  It is not through fame or riches but the cross.  “And he said unto them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” Matthew 16:24.  The Word of God is clear on this matter.

No one can truly follow Jesus if they come without their cross.  He requires all his followers to carry the old rugged cross upon their shoulders daily.  Jesus died and rose again and in like manner, we too must die with Christ and be raised together with Him.

Therefore the follower of Christ is not a brother who signs the fattest cheque, it is not a sister who makes biggest donations neither is the just a faithful tither; rather it is a man/woman that is dead to self yet most gloriously alive in Christ Jesus.

The modern day church will preach everything except the cross but Apostle Paul preached the Cross and nothing else.  “But let me recall to you brethren, the Good News which I brought to you, which you also accepted and on which you are now standing.  Salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it – unless indeed if your faith has been unreal from the very first.  For I repeated to you the all important fact which also I had been taught, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that He was buried; that He rose again on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:14