Many of us start our day at the cross and never actually leave the foot of it, but I’m here to share hope that there is life beyond the cross that promises freedom!

Does this story sound familiar? We come to the cross and surrender our burdens, asking God to free us from the bondage that slaves us to a behavior, lifestyle or sin that we’re not particularly proud of. We pick ourselves up, dust off the remnants on our knees and move forward trying to get over the past. But we never actually get beyond the cross to experience His power in our life. Before the sun can rise, we find ourselves answering ‘yes please’ to the same decisions, inviting strongholds to tighten a grip on our lives.

The power of Christ is found when we receive His love and discover the freedom, confidence and liberty to say ‘no more’.  There are a couple stories in the book of John that illustrate this when Jesus tells two sinners “go and sin no more”. Some may ask, well how can Jesus say that when he knows we are not perfect and will sin; Romans 3:23 reminds us “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God? And unfortunately, there are those who are quick to remind themselves and others “we’re all sinners” to excuse a lifestyle they’ve been leading. Sadly, it’s these folks who have given themselves an identity as a ‘sinner’ instead of a ‘conqueror through Christ’. And that’s what I mean about moving beyond the cross and living to the full potential Christ came to give us!

Many times, we want to stop at the cross, equipped with theology that Christ came so I’m forgiven and can move on. HOWEVER, we forget that we cannot be sinners and continue in it, and expect to go to heaven. With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will want to obey Him (John 14:15).

In saying, “Go and sin no more,” Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices. His words both extended mercy and demanded holiness. Jesus was always the perfect balance of grace and truth. The woman caught in adultery was forever changed. Her eyes had been opened to the depravity of what she was doing. Sin no longer held the appeal it once did. When we meet Jesus, sin no longer holds its fatal attraction. Grace changes things. Paul asks “shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)
When we turn to Christ and receive His forgiveness, we experience a heart change (Luke 9:23; Acts 1:8). Once we lived only to please ourselves, but when we have been forgiven, our motivation changes. We now live to please God (Galatians 2:20). Forgiveness is not cheap, and it does not excuse the sin that separated us from God. It cost God everything to offer us the cleansing that declares us righteous before Him. Rather than continue in the self-centered path that led us astray from Him to begin with, the forgiven can walk in God’s path in His love. A move toward God is a move toward righteousness, purity, and holy living. We cannot experience the transforming power of forgiveness and the freedom offered beyond the cross without being forever changed.

It should be our goal to “sin no more,” although we recognize that, while we are in the flesh, we will still stumble. God’s desire for each of us is to be holy as He is holy. We still sin, but sin is no longer a lifestyle choice. When we fail, we can come to God and ask forgiveness and make a choice to ‘sin no more’ in that manner. We are empowered by Christ to move beyond the cross- beyond our sin- and experience the freedom to say ‘no’ to unpleasing lifestyles and ‘yes’ to liberty and confidence that God will light a better, holy way.