Should Christians use/wear a cross?
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Hey everybody, welcome back. I appreciate you listening in today. I want to talk today about what the Bible says about using the cross as part of our Christian devotion. I got an email from a subscriber, Jean, who's been watching the videos for a while. She asked me what I thought about wearing a cross or using a cross, hanging one on the wall, that kind of thing. For some background, the cult I came out of, and she did too, labeled any use of the cross as idolatry. And so it was forbidden.
And I've heard this from other groups as well, though obviously most Christians don't have a problem with it. But just because most people don't have a problem with it doesn't necessarily mean it's acceptable practice. So I wanted to talk about this and dive into what the scriptures say about it. You ready? Then picture the scene with me. Moses has been up on Mount Si for what feels like forever to the people waiting below. The mountains wrapped in smoke and fire, thunder crashing overhead, and the people of Israel are getting restless.
They'd seen God part the Red Sea. They'd watched him provide mana from heaven. But now, now their leaders disappeared into a cloud, and they're scared. So, they go to Aaron and say those fateful words, "Come, make us gods, which will go before us. For as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him. And what happens next? Aaron collects their gold jewelry, melts it down, and shapes it into a calf.
The people start dancing around it, bowing to it, declaring, "These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt." Meanwhile, up on the mountain, God's literally carving into stone tablets the very words that say, "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them." The timing couldn't be more dramatic. God's writing the commandment against idolatry at the exact moment his people are breaking it. When Moses comes down and sees what's happening, he's so angry he smashes those tablets at the foot of the mountain. The golden calf gets ground to powder mixed with water and the people have to drink it.
It's a harsh lesson about what happens when we replace the invisible God with something we can see and touch. Now, fast forward thousands of years. Walk into almost any Christian church today, and what do you see? Crosses. They're on the walls, on the altar, on the steeple. People wear them around their necks, hang them in their homes, tattoo them on their bodies. Now, I know some of you listening might not believe Jesus actually died on a cross.
That's a whole different discussion for another video, and it's not really the point of this one. The point is that millions of Christians do use this symbol and this raises a really important question that we need to wrestle with honestly. Are we doing the same thing that those Israelites did? Have we taken a physical object and turned it into an idol? Well, let me get right to the point and share where I stand on this and then we'll dig into what the scriptures say. I don't personally wear a cross or have one hanging in my home, but I don't have an issue with those who do. To me, it's like keeping an old letter from someone you love who passed away.
You don't worship the paper or the ink. You don't think the letter has magical powers, but when you see it, when you hold it, it brings back memories. It reminds you of that person's love, their words, their presence in your life. For many Christians, that's exactly what the cross is. A reminder of Christ's sacrifice, a visual cue that points their hearts toward gratitude and worship of God himself, not that cross. The Apostle Paul gives us incredible wisdom about these kinds of issues. In his letter to Titus, he writes in Titus 1:15, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.
But both their mind and their conscience are defiled. Think about what he's saying here. The purity or impurity of something isn't inherent in the object itself. It's in how we approach it, how we use it, what's in our hearts when we interact with it. This principle shows up again in Romans chapter 14. Paul's dealing with Christians who are arguing about all kinds of things. What days are holy?
What foods are acceptable? What practices are proper? And here's what he says starting in verse 5. One man esteems one day as more important, another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He who observes the day observes it to the Lord. He who does not observe the day to the Lord he does not observe it.
Then down in verse 14, he makes this powerful statement. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my book, The Broken Mirror: Rediscovering Our True Nature in Christ. Readers call it a fantastic book where you will feel yourself discovering your identity in Christ. One reviewer praised it as five-star material for the spiritual mystic or group Bible study. It's time to escape legalism and shame. Discover you're already God's beloved child with divine nature flowing through you with what reviewers describe as excellent writing style and elegant pros like a campfire discussion with a knowledgeable and gifted reconour journey from Genesis to Revelation uncovering your true identity.
This book shows how to access God's peace, wisdom, and strength from within. Your struggles become opportunities for divine light to shine through. Available in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audio book. The link to the book is in the video description. May God bless your journey along his path for you. Do you see what Paul's doing here? He's saying that these external things, days, foods, and by extension, objects like the cross, they're neutral in themselves.
What matters is our conscience, our conviction, our hard attitude. If someone feels convicted that wearing a cross would be idolatrous for them, then they absolutely shouldn't wear one. For that person, it would be wrong. But if another person wears a cross as a simple reminder of Christ's love with no hint of superstition or idolatry in their heart, then for them it's perfectly fine.
Now, let's be really clear about something. There's a massive difference between using a cross as a reminder and turning it into an idol or a good luck charm. If you think your cross necklace protects you from harm, that's a problem. If you pray to the cross instead of to God, that's idolatry. If you think touching or kissing a cross gives you special spiritual power, you've crossed the line. The cross itself has no power. It's wood or metal or plastic.
That's it. The power is in what Christ accomplished on the cross, not in the physical representation of it. Think about it this way. When you look at a photo of your family, you don't worship the photo. You don't think the piece of paper has magical properties either, but that photo reminds you of the people you love. It brings them to mind when they're not physically present. That's how a lot of Christians relate to the cross.
It's not an object of worship. It's a visual reminder of the one we do worship. The book of Colossians gives us even more perspective on this. In chapter 2 16-1 17 Paul writes, "Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or Sabbath day which are a shadow of the things to come. But the body is Christ's." Paul's telling us here that all these external religious observances, all these physical symbols and practices, they're just shadows. The reality, the substance is found in Christ himself.
A cross is a shadow pointing to the reality of Christ's sacrifice. As long as we keep our focus on the reality and not the shadow, we're on solid ground. But here's where we need to be really honest with ourselves. It's so easy for good things to become God things in our lives. That cross that started as a simple reminder can slowly become a crutch. We might start thinking we need to have it with us to feel safe. We might begin to feel anxious if we forget to wear it.
We might start attributing our good days to having it and our bad days to forgetting it. When that happens, we've drifted into dangerous territory. The test is pretty simple. Could you give it up? If someone asks you to stop wearing your cross or take down the one on your wall, how would you react? If the thought fills you with anxiety or anger, that might be a sign that the object has become too important. If you could easily say, "Sure, it's just a reminder.
I don't need it." Then you're probably in a healthy place with it. Let's also remember that Christian freedom works both ways. Just as no one should judge you for wearing a cross if your conscience is clear, you shouldn't judge someone else for not wearing one. And if someone feels convicted that crosses are inappropriate, we need to respect that conviction even if we don't share it. Paul made this really clear in Romans 14:13.
Therefore, let's not judge one another anymore, but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way or an occasion for falling. This brings us to one of my favorite verses about Christian freedom found in Galatians 5:1. Stand firm, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don't be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Christ didn't die to put us under a new set of rules about what jewelry we can wear, what decorations we can have. He died to set us free from the power of sin and death. He died to bring us into relationship with God. Whether you express that freedom by wearing a cross or by not wearing one, the important thing is that you're walking in freedom, not bondage to rules or superstitions.
I think about the early Christians who used the symbol of the fish or the anchor or yes, even the cross to identify themselves to each other during times of persecution. Were they worshiping these symbols? Of course not. They were using them as practical tools of communication and identification. They were markers of belonging, signs of hope in dark times. The symbols pointed beyond themselves to the reality of Christ in his kingdom. The prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of what God really wants from us.
In Isaiah 29:13, God says, "These people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but have removed their heart far from me." God's not impressed by external symbols if our hearts aren't right. He doesn't care if you have a cross on your wall if you don't have Christ in your heart. On the flip side, he's not offended by a cross on your wall if your heart is genuinely devoted to him. We need to remember too that different cultures and different generations relate to symbols differently. What might feel like a meaningful reminder to one person might feel like empty tradition to another. What helps one person focus on Christ might distract another person from Christ.
And that's okay. That's part of the beautiful diversity of the body of Christ. We don't all have to express our faith in exactly the same way. 1 Corinthians 8:8 tells us this. But food will not commend us to God. For neither if we don't eat are we the worse, nor if we eat, are we the better. Replace food with crosses and the principle holds true.
Having a cross doesn't make you a better Christian. Not having one doesn't make you a worse Christian. Your relationship with God isn't determined by the jewelry you wear or the decorations in your home. What really matters is what's happening in your heart. Are you growing in love for God and for others? Are you becoming more like Christ? Are you walking in obedience to God's word?
Are you serving others with the gifts God's given you? These are the questions that matter, not whether you have a cross hanging around your neck. Jesus himself gave us a standard in John 4 23 and 24. But the hour comes, and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit in truth. True worship isn't about physical objects or locations or rituals.
It's about spirit in truth. It's about the heart's genuine devotion to God. So where does that leave us? I think it leaves us in a place of freedom and responsibility. Freedom to follow our conscience about symbols like the cross. Freedom from judging others whose convictions differ from ours. but also responsibility.
Responsibility to examine our own hearts to make sure we're not slipping into superstition or idolatry. Responsibility to be sensitive to others whose faith might be weaker or whose convictions might be different. If you choose to wear a display of cross, let it genuinely be a reminder of Christ's love and sacrifice. When you see it, let it prompt you to gratitude, to prayer, to worship of the living God. Don't trust in it for protection. Trust in the one who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and lives forever.
If you choose not to wear or display a cross, that's perfectly fine, too. Your faith doesn't need a physical symbol to be real and vibrant. You can carry the message of the cross in your heart without carrying a cross around your neck. You can proclaim Christ's death and resurrection through your words and actions without needing a visual aid. The beautiful thing about the gospel is that it transcends all these external matters. Whether you have crosses all over your house or none at all, the truth remains the same. Christ died for your sins.
He rose from the dead. And through faith in him, you have eternal life. That's the message that matters. That's the reality behind any symbol.
As we close, I want to encourage you to examine your own heart on this issue. Are there any physical objects in your spiritual life that have become too important? Are you trusting in things rather than in God? Are you judging others for their convictions about these matters? Are you allowing others to impose their convictions on you? These are important questions to consider. Remember the same God who prohibited idols in the Ten Commandments, who destroyed the golden calf, he's the one who sent his son to die on a Roman cross.
He knows our tendency to fixate on physical things, and he also knows our need for reminders of spiritual truths. In his wisdom and mercy, he's given us freedom in these matters, trusting us to follow our conscience and to keep our hearts focused on him. The cross, whether worn, displayed, or simply remembered, should always point us beyond itself to the incredible love of God demonstrated in Christ's sacrifice. It should remind us that we're forgiven, that we're loved, that we're free. It should motivate us to live lives worthy of the gospel, to love others as Christ loved us, and to carry our own crosses daily and following him.
Let this be our prayer. Aba Father, we thank you for the freedom we have in Christ. Help us to use that freedom wisely, not as an excuse for sin, but as an opportunity to love and serve you more fully. Give us wisdom to know when symbols and reminders are helpful and when they might become hindrances. Help us not to judge our brothers and sisters whose convictions differ from ours. Keep our hearts focused not on external things, but on the internal reality of your presence in our lives. May we never worship created things but always worship you the creator who is blessed forever.
Help us to remember the cross not as a charm or talisman but as a place where your love was displayed most powerfully. Whether we wear crosses or not, may our lives be living testimonies to the power of the gospel in Jesus' name. Amen.
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