Wearing Crosses
Now the Lord is that Spirit:
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Both Christians and non-Christians wear crosses. Before a person gets saved, he probably has seen people wearing crosses thinking that only Christians wear crosses. So after obtaining salvation, he may wear a cross to show that he has become a Christian. So it is not surprising that some Christians wear crosses thinking that this is the Biblical thing to do as a mark to identify himself as a Christian. Non-Christians too wear crosses but as a fashionable item just like the wearing of earrings, jewellery and other accessories for beauty. This is especially the case for women concerning adornment. Wearing of crosses is an issue of adornment and the Bible does have something to say about adornment.
Paul told Timothy how a woman ought to adorn herself in 1 Timothy 2:9. “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.”
Concerning servants, Paul also told Timothy how servants should be adorned; “Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” (Titus 2:9 & 10). This is spiritual adornment as oppose to physical adornment. However, spiritual adornment does affect a person’s physical outward adornment but outward adornment does not necessarily imply inward piety of a person.
The Apostle Peter commanded in 1 Peter 3:1-6 as follows:
“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”
It is obvious that the verses above do not mean that a woman cannot wear jewelleries otherwise she should not wear clothes as well. If a woman has the correct inward adornment, she will have the appropriate outward adornment that is in the sight of God of great price. Some Christians hold to the view that it is a sin for a Christian wear to a cross. But they would have a somewhat different opinion if a Christian wears a gold chain with some other ornaments and they do not look upon it as serious an offence as wearing a cross on the gold chain. This is defective logic to say the least. Of course no one would argue with him that it would be a sin if the ornament worn is a piece of satanic symbol.
Some Christian would go as far as to suggest that it is a sin even to put a ring on the finger. As such, wedding ring is not to be used during the wedding ceremony. Let’s consider some examples in the Bible where rings are been used.
Joseph received a ring from Pharoah as well as a gold chain in Genesis 41:42; “And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;”
King Ahasuerus gave Haman a ring and later gave this same ring to Mordecai. “And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.” (Esther 3:10 & 8:2)
There are so many other examples in the Bible concerning rings worn by kings and individuals where no charges of iniquity were issued against such practices. Like it or not, people saved or lost will wear jewelleries including crosses. Therefore, wearing a cross does not make any Christian more spiritual nor does it cause the Christian to loose any blessing from the Lord. It must however, not be mistaken that anyone wearing a cross is a Christian. Liberty of conscience should be respected on this matter.