{"id":37418,"date":"2021-08-25T14:06:21","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T19:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=37418"},"modified":"2021-08-25T14:06:21","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T19:06:21","slug":"where-is-the-cross-of-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-is-the-cross-of-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Is the Cross of Christ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n

When I make it about how I feel, what I like or don’t like, how inconvenient things are to me, or how I shouldn’t have to do x, y, or z because it’s difficult, then I have to ask… where is the cross of Christ in a religion ordered after my preferences?<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

If I balk at submission, frown upon being asked to do something I don’t want to, or feel like I am hampered from affirming my rights and asserting myself, then I must also ask … where is the cross of Jesus in my thinking and in my life?<\/p>\n

For whatever I feel, whatever I like or don’t like, whatever sacrifices I must make or inconveniences I must suffer, I need to refocus on Jesus as He endured the cross for me, though He despised its shame. It wasn’t easy, convenient, or self-affirming for Him as He treated others as more important than Himself. And if He, being God, can do that, who am I to assert myself over others and act as though everyone ought to bow to my preferences?<\/p>\n

The cross is not the religion of the pursuit of personal desires and preferences. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves<\/em>” (Philippians 2:3).<\/p>\n

I have a choice to make today. I can take up the cross and follow Jesus, or I can reject the cross in favor of my own rights and desires. That has always been the choice.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Doy Moyer When I make it about how I feel, what I like or don’t like, how inconvenient things are to me, or how I shouldn’t have to do x, y, or z because it’s difficult, then I have to ask… where is the cross of Christ in a religion ordered after my preferences?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1363,182,188],"class_list":["post-37418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-selfishness","tag-suffering","tag-trials"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":94539,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/adding-to-the-finished-work-of-the-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":37418,"position":0},"title":"Adding to the Finished Work of the Cross?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Check out this statement: \"I don't have to do anything for His blood to cover my sin because I can't add to the finished or perfect work of the Cross.\" This idea of \"adding something\" to the \"finished work of Christ\" sounds appealing, and it has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25530,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-preach-christ-crucified\/","url_meta":{"origin":37418,"position":1},"title":"We Preach Christ Crucified","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 28, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Joe R. 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The \u201cword of the cross\u201d is the power of God to save the lost (I Corinthians 1:18,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0005-14-210x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":96536,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-jesus-feel-shame\/","url_meta":{"origin":37418,"position":2},"title":"Did Jesus feel shame?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi brother Jeffrey, A friend of mine from our congregation wrote a short article in which he stated Jesus felt shame. He used Matthew 23:37-39, where Jesus laments over Jerusalem. He said Jesus was ashamed of Jerusalem. I don't believe this to be true. 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Ones who have the cross without Jesus, ones who have the cross with Jesus, ones\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":511,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-about-the-thief-on-the-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":37418,"position":4},"title":"What about the thief on the cross?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am still a little confused about what I need to actually do. I heard about baptism, but they say that the thief on the cross wasn\u2019t baptized. Isn\u2019t he in heaven? Answer: I appreciate the time taken to ask questions concerning your salvation. Personally, I don\u2019t believe the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41302,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-met-him-at-the-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":37418,"position":5},"title":"I Met Him at the Cross","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Forest D. Moyer via\u00a0Mind Your Faith In the heart of every person, there is a longing for a Supreme Being. Men who do not know Jehovah have manufactured various gods and rendered their service to the gods of human minds. 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