"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;"

                                -Colossians 2:13, 14

   "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

                                -Philippians 2:8

   "And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:"

                                -Ephesians 2:16

   "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

                                -I Corinthians 2:2

   "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

                                -Galatians 2:20

  
  
   These are only some of the verses in which Paul made reference to the cross. To him, the cross was everything. And rightfully so. If there was no cross, then there was no sacrifice for our sins, and therefore no forgiveness for them. Just as a house cannot stand without a foundation, Christianity is nothing without the cross.
  

   "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

  
   Isaiah says that the chastisement of our peace was upon him: the peace of God that you feel in your soul right now is a result of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. It says He was bruised for our iniquities: the reason you don't have to live with the guilt of all your past sins is a result of the cross. It also says by His stripes we are healed: the spiritual healing that has taken place in our lives would not be without the cross. The next verse says that we have all like sheep gone astray: our going astray was paid for on the cross. The Messiah (i.e. Savior) would not even be the Messiah without the cross. Without the cross we are nothing.

   Stop and think for a minute about all that was accomplished through the apostle Paul. We likely would not even be saved today if it was not for his ministry. He was taught the Gospel by Christ alone - no man instructed him in it. Jesus Himself spoke from heaven and called Him to be His light to the Gentiles. He established numerous churches. Why wasn't he full of pride and arrogance? All it takes is a quick look at Galatians 6:14.

   "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

   When you stay at the foot of the cross, pride is disgusting to you. Think about it: the King of Glory willingly left His Throne in heaven where He was worshiped by countless angels to come into a broken world filled with sinful people to die the most horrible death ever invented by man for sins that He never committed. And we think we're something special? I like how the old song puts it: