5 Powerful Benefits of the Cross Every Christian Should Know (With Bible Verses)

Quick Summary: What are the Benefits of the Cross

The benefits of the cross cannot be overstated. Through the cross, Jesus suffered God’s judgement for our sins. He purchased:

• Eternal life 
• Healing and deliverance
• A restored relationship with God the Father
• God’s future grace and blessings
• Purpose

Jesus provided all of these benefits by shedding His blood on the cross, making the cross a powerful act of love.

Why the Cross Still Matters for Christians Today?

Have you ever paused to truly consider what Jesus accomplished on the cross—and what it means for your life as a Christian today?

Often times, we overlook how powerful the cross is because we see it as a familiar symbol. We hear about it in church, read about it in Scripture, and reflect on it during Easter. It can be easy to forget that Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is both life changing and powerful. This is because Jesus didn’t just secure our future in eternity—He changed how we live, think, and draw near to God today.

What Did Jesus Accomplish on the Cross?

Through His sacrifice, Jesus accomplished the forgiveness of sins, purchased eternal life, restored our relationship with God, and made a way for us to experience freedom, healing, purpose, and grace.

Whether you’re walking through a difficult season or simply want to grow deeper in your faith, understanding the power of the cross can help you grow spiritually, renew your hope, and strengthen your trust in God.

In this article, we’ll explore 5 powerful benefits of the cross and how they continue to impact your life as a believer today.

Benefit #1: A Powerful Benefit of the Cross is that We Get Eternal Life

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

—Romans 6:23

The Bible tells us that the consequence of sin, or willful wrongdoing and rebellion against God, is death. The Bible makes it clear that everyone sins. It became a part of man’s nature after Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God in the Garden of Eden. That means that, before Christ, we were all under a death sentence.

Jesus’s death on the cross frees us of the consequences of our sin because Jesus chose to take our punishment to fulfill God’s judgement against humanity. He willingly sacrificed Himself so that we no longer reaped the consequences for past, present, and future sins. Jesus purchased our eternal salvation with His blood, insuring that we may have eternal life.

Read Next:

• 15 Bible Verses about Salvation
• 3 Powerful Reasons We Have Hope in Jesus
• Friend, Have You Met Jesus?: A Quick Guide to Salvation
• Shout Hosanna! Jesus Addresses Our Need for a Savior
• Jesus Resurrection Changed Everything

Benefit #2: We Have Access to Healing and Deliverance

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

—1 Peter 2:24

Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross allows us to boldly request healing from God. We do not have to be afraid or doubt God’s desire to heal us. While this doesn’t mean that God will fulfill every request for healing, it does mean that we can have confidence when we approach God for healing. This is because we are simply asking for what Jesus has already purchased for us.

Deliverance is another powerful benefit of the cross. The word deliverance simply means that God rescues us. Deliverance refers to having God’s presence and His intervention as we go through trials. It can also mean that we are able to find freedom from ungodly habits with the help of the Holy Spirit and our willingness to persevere against sin. Lastly, it can mean that we are free from Satan’s meddling influence in our lives. Our deliverance ensures that we have a sort of spiritual protection as we live out our lives on Earth today.

Read Next:

• 15 Bible Verses about Freedom: Discovering Spiritual Freedom and Liberty through the Scriptures
• What Jesus Says about Spiritual Freedom: 4 Gospel Passages that Will Set You Free!
• Please, God, Deliver Me and Restore My Purpose
• God, Help Me to Find Freedom by the Power of Your Word

Benefit #3: We Have a Restored Relationship with Our Heavenly Father

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

—Romans 5:8-11

One of the powerful benefits of the cross is that we now have a restored relationship with the Father. We are no longer under judgment but can fully enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. Before Jesus’s sacrifice, there were strict rules for how to interact with God. For example, there were:

• blood sacrifices to purify God’s people from sin 
• a high priest who was the only person who could approach God 
• strict rules for everyday living in order to maintain a relationship with God 

Praise Jesus that we no longer have to do these things today!

We are also able to directly communicate with God for ourselves. It’s very easy to take for granted that we are able to have our own personal relationship with God but this wasn’t always the case. Thanks to Jesus, we have the opportunity to feel God’s presence, go to God in prayer, and ask for the Holy Spirit to help us live out our faith daily.

Read Next:

• Hearing God’s Voice: A Guide for Beginners
• Hearing Envy: Learning to Discern God’s Voice
• The God Who Speaks Encouragement to Our Questions

Benefit #4: God’s Grace is Freely Given through the Cross

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

—Ephesians 2:8

Not only have we received mercy but we have also received God’s grace through Jesus. God’s mercy is His compassion which leads to His forgiveness. It was actually God’s mercy that led Jesus to voluntarily die on the cross so that our punishment for sin would be fulfilled. 

However, grace is God’s unearned favor. Because of God’s grace, He treats us as sons and daughters. He listens to our prayers and never rejects us. We can receive God’s help and blessings in times of need. The truth is that we do not deserve to come before a holy God or receive His respect. Yet, God doesn’t just treat us with respect. He shows us His great love! This is possible only through grace as we can never earn God’s love.

Read Next:

• 21 Scripture Verses about God’s Love
• How Do You Know God Loves You? 3 Powerful Truths to Remember
• Jesus Rescued His People Who’ve Gone Astray: An Ephesians 2 Devotional
• The Extravagant Love of Jesus: An Isaiah 53 Devotional

Benefit #5: We Have a New Identity and Purpose in Christ

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”.

—Ephesians 2:10

Jesus set us free through the cross. This new freedom brings a new identity and purpose. As Christians, we are now free to serve God with our talents and skills. Our new identity and purpose means that we are no longer who we were before Christ. We can let go of past sins and failures and find hope and joy in a new purpose. Christ has set us free through the cross to be a new creation, and He has a plan for our lives.

In fact, we know that one of the things we are called to do is to share our faith with others. According to Mark 16:15-16, Jesus commanded His disciples to:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”  

This command applies to us today. We have the joy of sharing what Jesus has done for us, the joy of serving others to share God’s love, and the joy of honoring God in the things we choose to do.

Read Next:

• Set Free from Sin: How Jesus Empowers Us to Express Our Faith
• Free for Christian Service! How Freedom in Christ Empowers Us to Serve (Galatians 5)
• Tips You May Never Have Heard about How to “Find” Your Calling
• Help! I Still Can’t “Find” My Calling: More Tips for Finding God’s Purpose for Your Life
• God, Please Help Me Submit to Your Purpose for My Life

Final Encouragement: Living in the Power of the Cross

The benefits of the cross are life changing! Through Jesus’s sacrifice, we received eternal life, healing and deliverance, a restored relationship with the Father, purpose, and God’s great grace. Praise to Jesus for His sacrifice and how it has provided each one of these blessings!

Key Takeaways about the Benefits of the Cross:

• The cross grants eternal life to those who believe in Jesus (John 3:16)
• Through Jesus, we have access to healing and deliverance (1 Peter 2:24)
• We are able to confidently approach God in prayer and experience His presence (Hebrews 4:16)
• Jesus died on the cross to restore our relationship with God (Romans 5:10-11)
• God’s grace allows us to receive His love and blessings freely (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• We are given a new identity and purpose in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Pause & Reflect

Take some time to reflect on the benefits of the cross! Bible verses, a prayer, and reflection questions are included below.

5 Key Bible Verses about the Cross

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” 

—Philippians 2:8

Jesus was willing to die a criminal’s death on the cross in order to set us free from sin. Despite being God Himself, He came down to Earth to live as a human being and died so that we can enjoy all the benefits of the cross.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

—Romans 5:8

This verse reminds us that Jesus loved us unconditionally and died on the cross for us. He was willing to die even while we were still living in sin. This is a clear example of God’s love, grace, and mercy for us.

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

—Romans 6:6

Through Christ, we have been crucified. We have died to our sin and are now new in Christ and set free to accomplish God’s purpose for us.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

—Ephesians 2:13

Our sin kept us far from God, but Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross has brought us into close relationship with our Heavenly Father. We can now approach Him boldly knowing that He hears us, loves us, and will meet our needs.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

—Acts 4:12

Jesus is the only way to eternal life. It is by His sacrifice on the cross that we are saved. He alone is able to guarantee the benefits of the cross.

A Prayer Thanking Jesus for His Sacrifice on the Cross

Dear Lord,

I’m so thankful that Jesus died on the cross for me. I thank you that I now have eternal life and can draw near to you. Help me to grow close to you and walk in the new purpose and identity you have for me. Father, I pray for the grace that was poured out at the cross to cover any broken areas of my life. May the healing and deliverance that Jesus bought for me touch the areas of my life that need it most. Lord, I thank you for all that you are doing in my life and how the power of the cross will transform me. In Jesus name I pray, amen!

Reflection Questions on the Power of the Cross

Believe: Read John 3:16 slowly. Now replace “the world” with your name. How do you feel when you read this? Do you truly believe that Jesus loves you and died for you? Why or why not? How might your day look different if you fully lived in this truth?

Reflect: Take a moment to revisit the 5 benefits of the cross. Which benefits speak to you the most in your current season? Where have you seen evidence of God working through these benefits in your life?  Are there any that you have a hard time relating to? Why?

Invite: What is one area of your life where you need to experience the power of the cross today (healing, freedom, purpose, etc.)? Take time to pray honestly about it and to also thank Jesus for what he accomplished on the cross!

Grow: Read the Freedom in Christ Bible Study. How does Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross allow you to experience freedom? Take a look at the tips included in the study. Are there any that you need to put into practice? Which ones?

Hope: Pick one of the scriptures in this article to memorize this week. Write it down or save it to your phone. How does this scripture encourage you? How does it remind you of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross? 

Take Action: Consider journaling your thoughts or writing a short prayer thanking Jesus for His sacrifice. Is there someone you can encourage by sharing one benefit of the cross with them? Try sharing these truths with them this week!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Cross

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Share Your Story: Can you think of any other benefits of the cross? Please share your thoughts below!