![]() In the year 1255 A.D., the body of a little boy named Hugh was found discarded in a well in England. The boy had been tortured and eventually crucified, possibly as a sacrifice by his kidnapper. Little Hugh was given the status of sainthood by the Catholic church. Sad as his story is, the death on the cross of Little Saint Hugh did not redeem you from the Father's wrath. During the Third Servile War, somewhere around 72 B.C., about 120,000 slaves revolted against the Republic of Rome. Many died in the war, but about 6,000 of the survivors were taken prisoner and put to death on crosses, along a road leading to Rome to warn others of the consequence of such actions against the government. Not one or even all of those 6,000 deaths on crosses saved you from the penalty of your sins. In 33 A.D., a Man who was broken and bruised took painful steps up the hill at Golgatha. Onlookers yelled and spat; some cried. Following the climb, the man- who was not really a man once you take off His skin- was nailed onto a cross. What Jesus did was amazing. It could never be replicated because there will never again be a man to walk the earth who has no sin. The cross, however, did nothing but take its part in Jesus's killing. People will continue to die on crosses. It is rare; but it can be found in some areas of the Middle East as a form of capital punishment (most often imposed for religious descentions). Death on a cross does not propitiate you from the punishment you deserve for the sins you have committed. To say such a thing would be akin to thanking the oven for the dinner you just ate. I have several pretty cross necklaces. I wear them as a demonstration to others of what I stand for. I love when people ask why I wear them. It's an opening to talk about my faith. But those necklaces are not as dear to me as what they represent. The cross is a symbol, not a reminder. I don't need a reminder of a means of torture suffered by many in Roman times. It wasn't the cross. It was the Sacrifice given at the cross that saved you. It was the God-Man that delivered you. It was His Love that redeemed you. For more about my Christian beliefs, please read the "Beliefs" section on this page under "About T.C. Slonaker." Or click here. For more information on my Christian fantasy novels in the Angelmen series, click here.
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Passion Under Grace,
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