THE ISSUE:
Christians talk a lot about “forgiveness” and the “free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.” Yet how can anybody know for sure that he is truly forgiven—and that he will spend eternity in heaven? Everything else in life costs something. Why shouldn’t salvation come with a price?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
CROSS-EYED SAINTS?
On Good Friday, two days before Easter, hundreds of people throughout the Philippines participate in “The Rite of the Flagelantes”—a ritual that dates back many generations.
What is it? A re-enactment of the sufferings Jesus experienced leading up to, and including, a crucifixion.
Amazingly, some have participated in this ritual for as many as 20 years! And they aren’t just dramatizing the events that Jesus went through; they are actually reliving them!
They begin by stripping their upper bodies of clothing. Then they pull their arms to their chests, causing the skin on their backs to stretch tight across the muscles. Another person then strikes their bare backs with a piece of wood that resembles a large spatula. Because the device contains bits of glass, razor blades and other sharp objects, this flogging rips open the skin, creating massive wounds similar to those Jesus received.
The participants then continue this self-mutilation by beating themselves with bamboo whips as they walk through the center of their town.
Eventually, most pass out and fall down in the dusty street. Bystanders come along with warm bottles of Coke or 7Up (water, if they’re lucky) and pour them on the open wounds. This is done to revive the participants. Then the “intentional victims” put on brightly colored robes and carry the crossbeams on which they will be crucified. Each weighs between 70 and 100 pounds.
They head through the center of town to the spot where they will be crucified. At this point, they are literally nailed to the wood. They hang on their crosses anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours.
Why would anyone want to do this to himself?
As sincere as these people may be, they are also sincerely misinformed about how to win God’s favor. They think they need to punish themselves for their sin. Surprisingly, most who survive this ritual come back the following year, and the year after, and the year after that. If they don’t continue what they’ve started, they’re considered a disgrace to their families.
Many other Christians who witness this event call it a horrible spectacle. They want to scream out to them, “Stop! What you’re doing is worthless in the sight of God. There is no way you can earn God’s grace or favor. It’s a free gift.”
THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION
What cross are you bearing?
Most of us wouldn’t consider physically beating ourselves or hanging on a cross. But sometimes we try other things to earn God’s favor:
• We believe that doing good deeds will make us more spiritual. • We act “the right way” around those who expect good behavior from us.
• We attend Christian meetings.
• We put money in the plate to ease a guilty conscience.
Doing good things should come naturally out of our love for God. But when we do “spiritual stuff” to ease our conscience or to impress God, we’re actually ignoring what Christ has already done. God has shown the extent of His commitment to us through Christ’s death on the Cross.
In John 19 we read the account of what Jesus went through during His last hours on earth. He was crucified in humiliation by government authorities, but God used their act to lift Him up to the whole world. Finally, after three hours, Jesus received a drink from a sponge soaked in wine vinegar and said, “It is finished” (verse 30).
He accomplished everything that was needed for us to receive God’s grace. That’s why He could say with confidence, “It is finished.” This cry of agony from Jesus was a cry of victory for us!
When we look at the Cross of Jesus, we should do so in awe and gratitude as we realize all that He did. Because God is loving, holy, merciful, patient and full of grace, our lives can be radically changed. But we must daily open our hearts to Christ as our Savior and Lord.
So stop getting caught in the performance trap, trying to get God to accept you. Instead, start living the awesome truth that God loves you more than you can imagine—and wants to spend eternity with YOU! 
