The Cross: Old vs. New

The Missing Message in the Modern Church

"The old cross is a symbol of death. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again in newness of life. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It always stands at the far side of the cross."

"Why do we build our churches upon human flesh? For we teach men not to die with Christ but to live in the strength of their dying manhood... If I see aright, the cross of popular evangelicalism is not the cross of the New Testament. It is, rather, a new bright ornament upon the bosom of a self-assured and carnal Christianity. The old cross slew men; the new cross entertains them. The old cross condemned; the new cross amuses. The old cross destroyed confidence in the flesh; the new cross encourages it."

And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." ~Mark 8:34-38 (NAS)

The Old Rugged Cross vs. the New "Nerf Cross"

"All unannounced, and almost undetected, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles... The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. The new cross, if understood aright, is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure.

"That this world is a playground rather than a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of fundamentalist Christians. They are facing both ways, enjoying Christ and the world too."

Following Christ, or a New "Un-Condeming" Gospel?

"The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect... Christ calls men to carry a cross; we call them to have fun in His name... We want to be saved but we insist Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Mansoul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility."

All of the above come from pastor, author, and theologian, A.W. Tozer.  It's amazing to think that Tozer described the modern 21st church, yet he died in 1963.  

Moral of this post:  Church is not for the purpose of entertainment, amusement, political correctness, or comfort.  The primary purpose of the church is to equip the saints, share in fellowship with other believers, communion, prayer, and service. (Ephesians 4 & Acts 2)

In scripture, we are told to beware of false prophets.  Modern Christianity seems to shy away from preaching about death, the cross, denying oneself, and the blood of Jesus.  The Gospel "Light" is not the Gospel at all.  In fact, it only perpetuates our carnal desires to live with one foot in the world.  

"And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." ~Matthew 24:11  

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." ~Matthew 7:14