For Christians everywhere, Jesus’ death upon a Roman cross stands at the center of what they believe and practice. Because of its critical position, many debates have arisen over the meaning of this saving act, and how it impacts our lives.

In this follow up to Saved By Faithfulness, I seek to illuminate the meaning of the cross in light of our covenantal relationship with God. Historically, the church has been divided between those who insist on the unique and unrepeatable sacrifice of atonement accomplished by Jesus on the cross, and those who hold that Jesus is a model of self-sacrificing love to be emulated. A covenantal understanding brings these two themes together, and reveals that both perspectives are essential if we want to do justice to what Jesus and His apostles taught. The covenant relationship that God has established with men and women must also inform the church as to the meaning of Christ’s cross for its own life and mission. When the cross is understood in terms of the covenant, it turns out that Christ’s saving work has far more expansive meaning for us than we have traditionally thought. There is so much biblical richness and depth to the cross of Christ that it touches every aspect of what it means to be a Christian.