Those individuals and groups that don’t believe in God are in a constant battle against those who do believe in the Creator and his Son. A man, an atheist, who is now dead, filed a lawsuit to force the removal of the Mt. Soledad War Memorial in California. He is but one of the many who have attempted, and who continue to attempt, to remove all vestiges of God or the mere suggestions of God from public life. Their arguments range from the forbidden establishment of religion imposed on Congress by the First Amendment to the separation of church state fallacy which came from an erroneous decision of the United States Supreme Court.

The cross and it’s meaning irritate those who oppose God. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. The ones protesting the presence of God are the ones perishing and can’t accept that God is the one who saves and not any one human being, namely self, if they believe in salvation at all, which they most likely don’t. But if they are wallowing in unbelief, why the great effort to eliminate that which is not believed? The Bible gives the answer. 

An answer to the question begins with a study of the word conscience which occurs 31 times in 29 verses. The meaning is easy to understand: a knowing with one’s self; testimony of ones own conduct borne by consciousness, the consciousness man as of himself in his relation to God. In effect, the non believing and atheists are attempting to escape their consciences and think that by removing God from life the conscience will be assuaged.

Early in the Creation, Adam and Eve discovered that they had a conscience. After partaking of the forbidden fruit, they made coverings for their bodies and hid from God. (Genesis 3:7-10) Their conscience nailed them since they knew they had violated God’s instruction. Then we find in Romans 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: It is proper then to conclude that since sin came through Adam’s transgression, that the conscience of man came through Adam as well, and thus the ability to know right from wrong.

We have further evidence of that with the following verses in Romans 2:14-15, For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) The truth is that all people are possessed with a conscience; and when behavior is contrary to the knowledge of right and wrong, terrible consequences driven by guilt are the result.

 Since all humans have a conscience, the plain fact is that those who continually deny God and make futile attempts to destroy him are in rebellion and refuse to acknowledge that fact. The writer of Hebrews Chapter 10: 22 wrote concerning Jesus and salvation: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  It is abundantly plain that anyone that doesn’t have God and Christ has an evil conscience, and that identifies the driving force for the atheists and other unbelievers who continually rail against God.

Now for the final answer for the drive to eliminate the cross. When God is eliminated, Jesus then will be of non effect, or so they think. No matter what they do, their conscience will condemn them. Men killed Jesus in an attempt to rid the world of the man who troubled their consciences. He arose and to this day, his message continues to point out the sin in the lives of men. But to totally eliminate any thought of God and his Son, that cross has to be eliminated too. The cross is a constant reminder to them of sin and that they are sinners needing the salvation the death of Jesus brought to all of mankind. That is the meaning of the cross.

© 02-03-2007 DEC

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