Is it OK for Christians to Wear a Cross?

We see the cross in churches and steeples, hanging in homes and, worn around the necks of many Christians; however, many don’t know what the cross means. There is also much debate as to whether or not it is appropriate – or even sinful – to wear religious jewelry like crosses and crucifixes. In order to understand whether or not it is ok for Christians to wear the cross, we have to understand the history of the cross and what the cross really means, particularly in our own lives.

Christians did not begin wearing the cross around their necks until after the crucifixion was no longer the primary source of capital punishment; therefore, it is not equivalent to a modern-day person wearing a miniature death symbol as some have suggested. Many look at the cross as simply the instrument of…