Do We Ignore the Cross?

Some people have accused identity Christians of ignoring the cross and trying to be justified before God by keeping the law. This is an absurd accusation because the cross is part of the law. By believing in the cross we are keeping the law. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matthew 5:17. We know that when we ask God to forgive us our sins because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, He forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9) We are then accepted by God as citizens of His Kingdom, and we have eternal life. (John 3:16) So you could say that the cross is the most important part of the law. However, when you believe in the cross you do not “have it all”. God’s laws touch on health, finance, agriculture, government, judgment, family relationships, relations with your neighbours, and worship. Forgive me if I have left out anything, but we see that the law covers everything in life. The teaching of the cross is actually the law of sacrifice, which goes way back to the beginning.

When Adam and Eve sinned for the first time by deciding to receive the knowledge of good and evil, they had the sentence of death upon them. There is nothing wrong with the knowledge of good. God would have taught them that knowledge in time. It was the knowledge of evil that killed them. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 Once Adam and Eve had the sentence of death on them by the knowledge of evil there was only one way they could be forgiven. By the law of sacrifice, a human being who was without sin would have to die in their place. This, of course, was Jesus Christ.There was one more requirement for the forgiveness of sin. They would have to acknowledge their sins and trust in the sacrifice made for them. God showed Adam and Eve a representation of this truth by sacrificing innocent animals to cover their nakedness. (Genesis 3:21) The sacrifice of animals was instituted by God to teach them the law of sacrifice. I believe Adam and Eve taught their children this law. Abel accepted it. Cain did not. Later in history, Noah took many more clean animals onto the ark than unclean animals. (Genesis 7:2) I believe this was so that he could make sacrifices to God. Later on, Abraham made animal sacrifices to God, and finally, Moses put the law of sacrifice into the national law of Israel. This law was kept by Israelites until God revealed the truth to them after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Then, many of the Jewish priests realized the fulfillment of the law of sacrifice in Jesus Christ, and believed on Him. (Acts 6:7) For the lost tribes of Israel, the sacrificing of animals continued down to the Druids of Britain, until the Gospel came to them, and turned their hearts to the true sacrifice. “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God:” Hebrews 10:11.12

Moses made the law of sacrifice part of the national law. Would it not be wonderful if the nations of modern day Israel made it part of their national law? Then everyone in the nation would present themselves to God, acknowledge their sins, and ask God to forgive them because of the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son. That great day is coming in the kingdom age.