What Does The Crucifixion Mean To Me?

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   “What does the crucifixion mean to me?” is about as profound as any question could be.  Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ went to the cross and died in order to pay the debt for our sins.  We are all sinners (Rom. 3:9-10, 23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).  The scriptures state that God “made Him Who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).  The sense of this verse is that Christ bore all the guilt of all sins for all people for all time on Himself on the cross.  What incredible love, what an incredible sacrifice!

​   Christ came to this world, lived as a man and experienced the kinds of temptations that we experience (Heb. 2:17-18).  In so doing, He willingly allowed Himself to “be made a little lower than the angels” so He could “taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9).  We were condemned in our own sins, with no way to change that reality by ourselves.  While we were without hope God sent His Son to die in our place (Rom. 5:8) and bring us hope!
   But, what does all that mean to you?  How should you look at the crucifixion, from a personal perspective?  What is its application to your personal life?
   Sending Christ to the cross is the ultimate statement of God’s grace and love for you.  He and His Son made that crucial sacrifice for you.  The price of the guilt of your sins has been paid for by Christ Himself.  The gospel plan for your salvation has been delivered to you in scripture (Rom. 1:16).  God has done more than His part.  Now, the effectiveness of Christ’s crucifixion, on a personal level, is up to you!
   Christ is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9).  He stated, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15).  If you believe that Christ went to the cross for you as your savior, why would you not obey Him?  He calls you to come to Him for rest (Matt. 11:28).  But that is a call to obedience (Lk. 6:46).  He calls you to repent of your sins, “…unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:3); to openly confess your faith in Him, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father Who is in Heaven” (Matt. 10:32); and to be baptized, immersed in water; “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16).  At baptism, the blood Christ shed on the cross will cleanse you of the guilt of your sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
   If you would like to learn more about what the crucifixion means to you, enroll in the free Bible study offered next to this article.  It could be the most important decision you’ve ever made…