Peter 1:17-21 & Romans 6:15-18

For lots of people, the cross remains a mystery. For some it’s simply a nonsense, whilst others might see it as lucky charm. What it is, though, is hard to avoid. 
It’s featured in all kinds of art, drawn, painted, engraved, worn, it can be a visible sign of faith as well as a reminder of the role that Christianity has played in the history of not only this nation but so many across the globe. Many churches are built in the shape of a cross and most would have some kind of symbolic representation. Even football players cross themselves as they run onto the pitch and for many crossing themselves is a symbolic way of sanctifying their actions. It can be powerful and it can be sanitised to such an extent that it loses its impact. 
All of which is amazing when we consider the cross to be a place of execution.