“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.” (Galatians 6:14 NLT)
Human beings have always tried to understand God. Since their motives and approaches are varied, their interpretations are also diverse. Many world religions have tried to codify God in order to get into His good graces: How can we appease God, so that He isn’t angry with us? What can we do to prevent punishment in the form of calamities and afflictions? These questions became part of man’s attempt to cajole God and to finagle grace. Societies discovered that adding moral rules to the understanding of God can be a useful tactic in maintaining social order. Pleasing others and conforming to cultural patterns thus became conflated with religion. Prosperity and well-being became equated with God’s favor on those who were faithful. Thus, spiritual pride seeped in along with status seeking.
Christianity, at least initially, sought to change the script. The Apostle Paul admonished us to take pride in nothing but the cross of Christ. The cross represented liberty from self and the world. Christ’s sacrifice revealed a different sphere, a higher perspective. Humanity’s bondage to the pursuits of worldly comforts and concerns was broken. Complete identification with the cross brought about significant transformation: those who are committed to Christ are numb to worldly interests. Likewise, the world’s interest in them will also fade. Grace is free, yet devotion to Christ is costly. Earthly insignificance is the price.
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