The Centrality of the Cross
By Dan Qurollo
Burke County
I am often amazed at how easily and how quickly we can become distracted. A squirrel in a tree or a bird on a powerline has distracted many workers. Phone notifications can undo the concentration of even the best of us. In a much more serious realm, we can lose our focus on that which is truly important. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul reminded Timothy, his delegate to Ephesus, of the centrality of the cross. He wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” For ministry to be effective, the cross must remain central.
I find it interesting that Paul was led to direct Timothy to this matter. After all, he was brought up by a God-fearing mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). From what we can tell in Scripture, it appears that he was saved under Paul’s ministry, for Paul frequently described him as his “son in the faith” (e.g. 2 Timothy 2:1). He traveled extensively with Paul and was left in the city of Ephesus to carry on Paul’s work. Timothy was aware of the gospel and the impact that it made on countless lives, including that of Paul as well as himself.
Why did Paul sense the need to remind Timothy of the gospel? Though I cannot say dogmatically, it appears to me that Paul recognized the dangers of losing our focus. Even in ministry, we can lose sight of the gospel and its ability to impact a person’s life. For both Timothy and those living today to be effective, we must be convinced of the power of the gospel and its ability to transform a person’s life.
Paul reminded Timothy that this was a “faithful saying.” Therefore, it is one on which a person can absolutely depend. It is a reliable message that will forever remain reliable. It is “worthy of all acceptation,” suggesting that this message is worthy of all acceptance. That which is always reliable and worthy of full acceptance is that Jesus Christ entered the world with one purpose: to save sinners. Though He performed many miracles and did various things, nothing deterred him from His ultimate purpose: to provide salvation for all mankind. To forget this or to move away from the cross is to commit a serious mistake.
As Paul reflected on God’s grace in his own life, he never lost sight of it nor of its implications for how he was to live. Paul never forgot how undeserving of a recipient he was; however, his life was forever transformed as he was the recipient of God’s amazing grace. Though we rejoice in our freedom as a country, the freedom I have as a believer is something this world can never take away. Several truths stand out from this passage:
- I must never lose my confidence in the gospel’s ability to transform a person’s life. The message I proclaim is one in which I can have complete confidence, regardless of how someone else might view it. I personally can attest to the power of the gospel, for it has transformed my life. What about you?
- I must maintain the centrality of the cross in my life. The entire reason Jesus entered this world was to save sinners. If I lose sight of this reality, I have lost my focus. The cross must be the driving force behind all I do.
- The salvation of sinners is dirty work. Ministry is a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves type of work. It gets dirty and messy, but those are the very ones for whom Christ died. There is no such thing as a soul that is not precious in God’s sight.
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Dan Qurollo is the pastor of Morganton Baptist Church. You can visit them online at www.morgantonbaptist.net, on Facebook, or on Youtube.
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