Galatians 5:11
“Dear brothers and sisters,a if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.”
The message of the cross is offensive. One big reason is the exclusionary message. John 14:6 says, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." Our multicultural society tells us that all ways are valid. Jesus' words disagree.
The biblical explanation makes sense. The consequence of sin was too great, so Jesus gave His life for us. The cost was very high that secured our salvation. There is no other religion that pays that price or provide a way. While most show a way, they aren't sufficient.
Some are offended by the cross because their deceased loved ones weren't christians. They can't accept a possible bad outcome for them, so they reject the cross. We can't say for sure how God worked with others in the privacy of their hearts. A deal may have been struck. God is fair and gives everyone multiple chances. We need to trust Him with those details.
Another reason some are offended by the cross is because it doesn't live and let live. The bible has standards of morality and ethics. It judges some lifestyle choices. While God gives all the freedom to do as they choose, there are consequences.
We have to accept the Lord and His ways. This means we need to trust and follow Him. We may have had problems with the cross, but our need for Him outweighs our will. John 6:68 says, 'Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.' We may not have wanted to go that way, but it was the only escape route.
Now that we know the Lord, we realize how wrong we were. He is the way and He is ever so good. It's more than "a way", He is the way. So good. Lord, we are sorry that we misunderstood You. Thank You for forgiving us and being patient with us.
We, as christians, need to stand with Him. Paul says in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
We don't like to be different, so there is an element of difficulty with this. It's ok to acknowledge this, but we still need to do it. We can ask for help and courage. Like our friend in the gospels that admitted to Jesus, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief", (Mark 9:23). He knows we are but dust, and is ok with us needing help.
He wants us to be in a dependent relationship with Him. He wants us to pray and ask. Luke 11:9 says, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." There is a great parable which has as it's point to be persistent in prayer and ask. We will need His courage to stand. He wants to give it. We all aren't those who are spoiling for a fight. He will give us the courage to stand.
Lord, thank You for Your redemption through the cross. You've saved us and given us an amazing life in You. Help us to stand strong with Your message.