A Spiritual Alarm System

Many of us have alarm systems in our homes. They're good for keeping bad people from getting in, but also good in case a child starts to wander out. Even our church has an alarm system as part of its security system. The cross of Christ acts like an alarm system for the Christian's spiritual life. If anything coming into or out of us is counter to the cross, a constant exposure via Scripture to the Christ who died on that cross will cause conviction to rage in our hearts not unlike the racket caused by a building's alarm. Another name for this is our conscience. This is where sins like self-indulgent pride and the worship of money, sex, and power come into conflict with holiness and truth. The conflict is not a nagging question, but a head-on collision. We know evil when we encounter it. The cross shines the light of truth on the evil we choose and love by showing us that it is not a means for life but death. In other words, the cross ruins our sin. It removes whatever deodorant or perfume of self-justification we've attempted to hide sin's stench with. Alarms go off. May the Holy Spirit give us and be for us the means to repent and turn away from sin toward the cross of Christ.