It’s About the Cross

It’s About the Cross
Galatians 6:11-18
St. Peter’s Anglican Church
September 28, 2025

Two weeks ago much of the country was still trying to get their heads around the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

While Charlie was indeed a political animal … he was quite clear that all that he believed had it’s foundation in the Word of God and his relationship to Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.

He wanted heaven to be crowded!

And for this … some people hated him and celebrated his death.

I reminded you of the words of Jesus who said: ““If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.””

I also reminded you that no one dies before his time … as Psalm 139 makes clear:

““Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.””

This week I was again surprised that the Lord called home another faithful servant — who was a friend of Charlie Kirk — Voddie Bauchan … he was only 56 years old.

He proclaimed … without compromise … the truths as revealed in God’s Word … especially that salvation was only through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In God’s providence … the work that God had called him to do was finished

In all of this, I reminded you that NOTHING happens outside of God’s divine WILL and PURPOSE! NOTHING surprises HIM!

To me … it is very comforting to know this. There are no accidents … no “what ifs” … no “if only …””

We may not understand all that is happening … We may ask “why” … we may be saddened … we may shed tears … but we know that OUR God is the same … yesterday … today … and forever.

And knowing that … we can trust in God … and we can rest in the perfect will of God … knowing … as Paul says in Romans 8:

““And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.””

Isaiah tells us: ““Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’””

Again … to me … it is very comforting to know this.

However … as I said … there were some who were celebrating the assassination … with some even saying that he deserved it.

If we look through history we find that the persecution of God’s people and Christians in particular … is nothing new.

It started with the Old Testament prophets of God that you can read about in Hebrews 11 … these were those who looked forward to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

It continued with the slaughter of the children after the birth of Christ … and then John the Baptizer … the last of the Old Testament prophets.

And then our Savior … the Lord Jesus Christ!

After the death and resurrection Jesus … we have Stephen … with Saul … soon to be Paul … celebrating his death! …

… Then … all those who Paul … then called Saul … had put to death … and the persecution continues to this day … and quite frankly … will continue until Jesus returns in glory!

I have told you before that more Christians were martyred in the 20th century that in the previous 19 centuries combined and it continues to this day … with thousands martyred each year.

Persecution continues and still continues … with the only common factor — the person and work of Jesus Christ.

He is the dividing line!

You can talk about religion in general … you can talk about someone being “spiritual” — whatever that means … BUT …

… as soon as you mention Jesus … the red flags go up! WHY???

The person and work of Jesus Christ is the separating factor from all the other religions of the world.

ONLY Christianity has a Savior … let me repeat that … ONLY Christianity has a Savior!

The words of our Savior emphasizes this truth: “““I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.””

No other religion or faith has the equivalent of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

And central to the person and work of Jesus Christ … is the Cross … the Cross of Christ.

I think it’s incredible to think that what had been a means of execution … has become the symbol of our faith.

This is exactly what we see in our Epistle lesson from Galatians 6, where Paul says:

““But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.””
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In our Epistle lesson Paul addresses the division between those who were circumcised and those who were not.

Paul’s response is … it’s all about the cross! … it’s all about the cross!

““But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.””

The cross … and Christ crucified on it … is foundational to our faith … with the crucified Christ dying in our place for our sins.

Peter tells us … ““who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree …””

You have heard me say that all the other religions and faiths essentially go from man to God … saying … that one must do thus and such to gain access to God … or their concept of God.

Whereas Christianity goes from God to man … with God essentially saying … I have done it all … I have sent my Son … Jesus Christ … to die for the sins of those who believe …

Jesus died in OUR place for our sins … and the resurrection is the proof that God accepted his sacrifice on our behalf.

Remember … sin has consequences … death … not only physical death … but spiritual death.

God’s Word tells us: ““For the wages of sin is death …””

This is why after the fall … God set up a series of sacrifices so that the people could have forgiveness of their sins.

We also know … that all these sacrifices looked forward to the one final and perfect sacrifice of Christ.

As we read in the book of Hebrews: ““For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.””

Hence … the person and work of Jesus Christ!

““For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.””

Charlie made clear that his faith was in the crucified Christ who had risen from the dead … and is alive today at the right and of God.

But … as I said … it is the cross that is an offense to people who do not believe.

They hated Charlie for it … they hated the Apostles for it … they hated the first century Christians for if … and sometimes they hate us for it.

In Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth he puts it this way:

““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…. but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,””

““ … but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,””

The deciding factor is the cross of Christ.

The dividing factor is the cross of Christ!

And so we read … ““But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.””

When we think about it … the Gospel is very simple … and it’s summarized … again in the words of the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:

““For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”” (REPEAT)

That’s it! We just have to believe it … believe that Jesus died in our place … for our sins!

When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi … this is what we read:

““But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.””

Divine intervention! And then we read:

““Then he (the Philippian jailer) called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.””

Again … the simple truth … ““Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.””

This is what faithful Christians since the time of Christ have proclaimed … Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead!

But we see something else connected with this belief … connected with our faith … and that is action.

Our faith in the risen Christ needs to result in action … or, if you will … our works.

I have reminded you in the past of the familiar Ephesians 2:8-10:

““For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.””

Notice what Paul says: ““For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …””

While our works do not save us … we know that our works are the evidence of our faith.

As James tells us: ““Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead … AND … For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.””

Charlie Kirk’s work … if you will … was going on college campuses with his Biblical and Conservative message … and starting discussions … which usually included his profession of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.

Someone thought that they could stop what he was doing.

Obviously they failed as evidenced by the memorial service where the person and work of Jesus Christ as made very clear!

It is estimated that there were between 100,000 and 200,000 people in and around Phoenix and an estimated 100 MILLION people listening to the online stream of the memorial service.

I was reminded of Joseph that we read about in the book of Genesis … where he was sold into slavery by his brothers … where he was put in prison … and then … in the divine providence of God … became 2nd in command in all of Egypt.

When he finally revealed himself to his brothers … We read:

““And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.””

WOW! ““for God sent me before you to preserve life.””

And later … after their father died and the brothers thought Joseph would finally get revenge, we read:

““Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,””

““you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,””

I think we can say that the assassin meant it for evil … but God meant it for good!

The good that the person and work of Christ was proclaimed to what has been called the largest single audience in history.

I doubt that Charlie had any inkling of the good in his death.

All I know … is the proclamation of the cross of Christ continues on college campuses around the country where large auditoriums are filled with young people … some of whom are hearing the Gospel for the very first time.

We know that there have 10’s of thousand of requests for Turning Point chapters on High School and College Campues.

““you (the shooter) meant evil against me; but God meant it for good,””

What about us? What are we called to do?

Simply … we are called to be faithful to where God has placed us … our family … our workplace … our neighborhood …

and given the opportunity … to tell others the Good News … the Gospel … and, with Paul … we must say:

““But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.””