By Rev. Mark Creech | March 2, 2025
At the core of the Christian faith stands the cross of Jesus Christ—a symbol of self-denial, suffering, and sacrificial love. The message of the Gospel is not one of personal gain but of losing one’s life to find it in Christ. Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthews 167:25). Yet, in today’s culture, many messages preached in Christ’s name deviate from this truth, offering a Christianity without the cross, a faith without cost, and a Savior who demands nothing in return.
This distortion takes many forms. The Prosperity Gospel assures believers that sufficient faith in Christ guarantees wealth, health, and success, downplaying biblical themes of suffering and self-denial (Luke 9:23). Self-help and motivational preaching reduce Christianity to positive thinking and self-empowerment while neglecting the call to die to oneself (Galatians 2:20). Therapeutic Moralistic Deism portrays God as a distant being who wants people to be “nice” and feel good about themselves, avoiding the difficult demands of discipleship, such as loving enemies and forgiving those who hurt us (Matthew 5:44).
Other deviations take a more subtle form. I believe in bringing the Gospel of Christ and the principles of God’s Word to bear on the political process. However, Political Christianity without the Cross focuses solely on moralism and cultural issues, often neglecting the sacrificial heart of the Gospel (Philippians 2:5-8). It’s not an either-or situation, but it must be both. Hyper-grace theology dismisses repentance and obedience, as though Christ’s sacrifice requires nothing in response (Matthew 16:24-25). Meanwhile, consumer-friendly Christianity offers a comfortable faith, avoiding the hard truths about sin, sacrifice, and suffering (Luke 14:27-33).
But Christ’s call is quite clear: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). To follow Jesus is to embrace a life of surrender, generosity, humility, and perseverance—even when it costs significantly.
Consider the profound nature of God’s own heart: God the Father sacrificed His only Son. As John 3:16 tells us, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ Was there ever a greater sacrifice? No, and there shall never be one so great again.
God the Son, Jesus, the Bible tells us, also gave up His life. As someone once said, it wasn’t the nails that held Jesus on the cross—it was His love for sinners. The Bible reminds us, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). And yet, Jesus laid down His life not just for His friends, but for His enemies.
Consider the role, if you will, of God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit works to empower Jesus’ mission, even at the cost of being “unseen” and often unrecognized. In a way, Jesus’ work shows the Spirit’s willingness to “decrease” in visibility so that Christ may “increase” in people’s minds and hearts.
Jesus said of the Spirit’s work: “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14). In other words, The Spirit doesn’t work independently but always directs attention back to Jesus, revealing His significance and helping believers grow in their relationship with Him.
There is still another way to see the Spirit as sacrificial. In John 16:8, Jesus highlighted the Spirit’s role in convicting the world. He said, “And when he [the Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.” This often involves being rejected or resisted.
The Spirit exposes sin and calls people to repentance, but this prophetic work is often a thankless job, opposed and defied by those unwilling to hear the truth. Despite this, the Spirit continues to strive with the human heart, gently persuading and convicting out of love, even when it means enduring rejection from someone who deserves the wrath of God.
You see, sacrifice is at the very core of God’s character. It is fundamental to the Holy Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our God is a God of sacrifice. And God has bequeathed to us a faith consistent with His own person and character. It’s all about sacrifice, not self-indulgence.
Much preaching today sells a cheap Gospel. Are you buying it?
*******
The preceding article was drawn from a sermon by Rev. Creech titled: The Essence of the Christian Faith is Sacrifice