The Old and New Cross adapted from Tozer 1946

All unannounced and mostly undetected, there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different; the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.

From this new cross has come a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique, a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content and meaning are not the same; and its emphasis is not as before.

...The old cross is a symbol of death. Its stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being...the cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man completely and for good. It was cruel and hard, and when it had finished, the man was no more.

The race of Adam is under a death sentence. There is no escape. The evangelism that would draw friendly parallels between the ways of God and man is false to the bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. We do not bring our old life up to a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat MUST fall to the ground and die.

God offers life but not an improved old life. The life He offers is out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God's just sentence against him. Let him repent and cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him bow his head before the stroke of God's stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.

Having done this, let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. To any who object to this or count it merely a narrow view of truth, let me say God has set his hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul's day to the present. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and sign and wonders and mighty operations of the Spirit gave witness to God's approval.

Then so the same way we have received this Christ, so we must also walk in him. And as Paul said "I die daily".