Defined as the essential point requiring a resolution or resolving an outcome. Crux is latin for Cross. Every time we use or hear hear this phrase we’re referencing the essential point of God’s plan for the world that demands a resolution from each of us.  

What do you emphasize as the essential point of your spiritual life? When it comes to spirituality there’s a few things I think I’ve made the CRUX instead of the cross:

Last post we dealt with Christ’s Cross vs. our Human performance.

Here’s another: Human Emotions. We often let our feelings tell us what’s true or false about God, the Gospel, ourselves, and others. God made us emotional beings and emotions can be a very positive force in our spiritual growth and fruitfulness as we experience God and the needs of others. But if allowed to be THE CRUX they can send us on roller coasters and hard crashes and ups and downs in relationships with God and others. Emotions drive our decision making in today’s world. Our modern ethic is based on three emotional pillars: 1) It seems right at the moment. 2) Everyone else is doing it. 3) It feels good. The common refrain today is “Follow your heart.” But the Bible says that the heart is easily deceived, wicked, and unkno//,wable (Jeremiah 17:9).

Here’s what happens if we allow our feelings to be the point:

• We feel unvalued and cared by God and others. “Where was God when…?” “Everybody is so unfriendly at the church.” “Everybody talks about me.” The way we feel becomes a lens by which we see everyone and everything.
• We live inconsistent spiritual lives, because discipline and consistency of action seldom feels good to the flesh. There has to be more to motivate you than warm and fuzzy feelings if you’ll grow and continue a certain way of life. Imitation is what Jesus desires, not just inspiration. “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” Luke 9:23.
• We’ll be often defeated by temptation because we’ll choose the easy way instead of the right way.

Here’s the Crux: The Gospel and it’s events (the death and resurrection of Christ) remain unaffected by whatever you’re feeling at the moment. And Jesus died to give us more than the warm fuzzy’s. He died that we may know REAL LIFE, POWER OVER SIN, AND LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. The cross of Christ stands as a constant reminder of HIS value and love and desire for us, no matter what. If Christianity is about what others think, what I feel, or what someone else may say, we miss the point.

Bridge Church is in the midst of a series of sermons on the Cross called The Crux. Gather with us Sunday’s, 10:30am at the West St. Tammany YMCA.