The world has its way of boxing us in. At an early age, we receive our labels. Everyone you meet seems to have labels to define you. We become crippled by the stigmas attached to our ‘bad’ labels and pressured by the ones attached to our ‘good’ labels. We spend our time wondering if there’s anything we can do to release ourselves from their grips. This time of introspection is consuming and considerably desperate. We find ourselves turning to activities or a plethora of options the world has to give us to receive ‘new’ labels, ‘better’ labels, ‘safer’ labels. At times, we dislike ourselves for turning towards ‘awful’ labels. No matter how hard we try at this thing called living, we just can’t seem to escape these labels.
I consider ‘labeling’ one of the universal dances of life we all partake in. This dance has a rhythm everyone around us knows and joins, willingly and unwillingly. Nevertheless, as we go through life, there’s someone else. A man who’s unlike the rest. The first time I noticed Him, I realized, He had no labels. Instead, He came and stood by me. I waited for Him to ask me the dreaded questions everyone asks at this dance. Who are you? What do you want? Where did you grow up? What do you do? Yet, this man didn’t ask me any of these questions. He led me to the dance floor and soon enough, I realized that my labels had vanished. I realized that we weren’t dancing like everyone else and that our rhythm was different. He had His own rhythm to dance to. And for the first time in my life, I felt free dancing with Him. I even felt seen. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. No amount of ‘good’ labels could bring me here. This man understood me better than anyone else and He didn’t need the labels.
From the beginning of creation, God created humanity. He loved His creation so much, He called it very good (Genesis 1:27-31). He created the world, He created living, hence He created His own dance.
God created human beings to dwell in His presence. He gave the first of mankind, Adam and Eve, the free will to choose to be with Him. In their free will, they chose sin instead of the will of God to be in His presence with light and truth. Their choice separated humanity from the presence of God and gave the ‘enemy of humanity’ dominion over a world that was initially ours (Genesis 1, 2, 3). Their choice kicked off the redemptive work of God. You see, from the very beginning, God has asked us to dance with Him, and has also given us the option to choose to say yes or no. This choice is part of our free will.
This is where the rhythm gets hard for a lot of people. It may even cause some to trip. I know, I’ve been there. We don’t grasp that the all-knowing and all-powerful God isn’t giving humanity His ‘second best’, He’s offering humanity a full frontal view of His glorious nature. God already knew that the first of mankind would sin, but He created them regardless. God already knew that we would fall short of receiving His glory, but He created us regardless. He knew that every single human being would fall short. But, without our free will of choosing to be in His presence, we wouldn’t know God’s love, grace, and mercy towards us. Love isn’t an obligation. Love doesn’t force itself on someone. Love asks to be received and gives the choice to be received.
God weaved His redemptive story, through the foreknowledge of Adam and Eve sinning, in order for every human being, under His commandment of being fruitful and multiplying, to come to know Him despite sin entering the world. The very thing that is against His nature. Though Adam and Eve chose sin to enter the world, their choice became the manner in which God fulfilled His will for His glory to be revealed to the world. Thus also displaying His sovereignty and how it partners with our choices.
As I continued to dance with Him, I realized that God painted a beautiful mosaic of His redemption for us. Utilizing prophets and forefathers of the faith like Abraham, David, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament to reveal His desire to dance with mankind. When we dance with Him, we realize that all along, God was painting a beautiful picture of His grace and mercy towards humanity using messianic scripture and prophecies, preparing the ultimate stage for His dance. Because this eternal holy God can’t be in the presence of sin, He designed this stage to express His deepest longing and desire for mankind to not be separated from Him. He designed this stage for us to be with Him as He created us from the beginning. He sends His Son, the second member of the Godhead, fully God, to become fully human and free us from our sins.
His Son, Jesus Christ, was born of a virgin named Mary (Luke 1, 2). He spent most of His life in obscurity, and later revealed Himself as The Messiah to those who have ears to hear. For about three years, Jesus declared His kingdom and revealed the love and nature of God to those He encountered here on earth (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Thus preparing the stage for His final invitation for all of us to come dance with Him. Eventually, He completed the stage for the only dance worth joining.
On the cross of Calvary, Jesus takes the full cup of The Father’s wrath for the entire world. Not some of the world. Not the parts of the world that would come to accept Him. No. Our God, because He so loves humanity and the world (John 3:16), which He created (Genesis 1), and never intended to be apart from, gives His life to atone for the sins of all (John 19). At the cross of Calvary, Jesus gives everyone the right to dwell in the presence of the Heavenly Father, through the righteousness of His Son.
On the cross, Jesus gives up His life to atone for all of humanity’s sins. He defeats them all. Taking all of our shame, guilt, and regret. Taking with him all of our labels. All of our burdens. Even those that say, I didn’t ask to be here. He gives us all a true reason to celebrate. To join His dance as He intended us to.
What is the cross? The cross destroyed sin. The cross saved us from eternal death. The cross is God extending His hand and looking at us directly, asking us to dance with Him, asking us to follow Him. Not by bringing our labels, our weaknesses, and our fears. Not by bringing our pain. Not even by bringing our hopes and successes. In fact, the cross asks us to hand all of these things to Him and grab onto His victory. The cross invites us all to believe in Jesus and the work He did on our behalf to save us (Acts 16:31).
On His dance floor, I’ve come to understand why He never asked me those questions. No label I carried was worthy of His glory. No regret or shame I carried wasn’t defeated in His victory. Nothing I could ever offer Him is greater than the sacrifice He paid for me by laying down His own life on my behalf. I dance with Him because the free gift of salvation He gave me is the only true thing worth celebrating. The cross reminds me that the only label I should grab onto is the new one God gave me, I am His. Through the precious blood of His Son, He redeemed me (Ephesians 1:7-8, Romans 8:14-17).
This free gift of salvation keeps me in His presence eternally. I can continue to dance because the God who created me, freed me from sin, freed me from eternal death, and redeemed me by laying down His own life. When hearing this good news, how could I say no to dancing to His rhythm and not the world’s? Nothing is greater than the price He paid for my freedom. And because of His sacrifice, nothing could ever separate me from His love.
What is the cross? The cross destroyed every excuse regarding not following God. The cross destroyed every excuse used to justify not wanting to be in God’s presence. The cross cleanses us of our sinful nature through the righteous blood shed by Jesus Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:33). The cross reminds us that no amount of works can save us from our sinful nature, no amount of works can redeem us to ever be worthy of dwelling in God’s presence (Ephesians 2:8). The cross invites all of humanity for free to be with God. The cross removes everything in the way of us knowing God and dwelling in His eternal presence. The cross reminds us that God did it for us, He loves us, and there’s nothing we can do but choose to accept Him back. The cross reminds us that there’s no barriers to entry because He redeemed us all through His blood. The cross encourages us to drop all the labels we picked up in the world and simply be His children (1 John 3:1).
Love doesn’t force itself. It asks to be received and gives the choice to be received. God’s grace and mercy are anchored by His love for humanity. So, the cross tells us to come dance and to celebrate His victory on Calvary. The cross is God’s invitation to every single human being to be who He’s always created us to be – His.
We don’t have to understand the whole dance or every step. We just have to say yes, I’ll dance with you. I believe and celebrate this victory with you. And, He’ll lead us from there.
Sincerely,
Anne
Call to Salvation
Salvation is a free gift from God available to all. If you have not yet received your salvation, Jesus is inviting you to right now (2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15).
Dear God,
Pray this prayer and begin your new life with Him 🙂
I admit that I’m a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness. You tell me that anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and believes that He died on the cross on their behalf and rose from the dead is forgiven for their sins. I believe with my heart and confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Daughter in Waiting Ministry 
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