--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only at the cross of Christ does man see…" description: "\"Only at the cross of Christ does man see fully what it is that separates him from God; yet it is here alone that he perceives that he is no longer sepa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/emil-brunner-33461_christ_only-at-the-cross-of-christ-does-man-see_455748.jpg" --- # Only at the cross of Christ does man see fully what it is… ![“Only at the cross of Christ does man see fully what it is that separates him from God; yet it is here alone that he perceives that he is no longer separated from God. Nowehere else does the inviolable holiness of God, the impossibility of overlooking the guilt of man stand out more plainly; but…” quote by Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/emil-brunner-33461_christ_only-at-the-cross-of-christ-does-man-see_455748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/emil-brunner-33461_christ_only-at-the-cross-of-christ-does-man-see_455748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/emil-brunner-33461_christ_only-at-the-cross-of-christ-does-man-see_455748.jpg) > “Only at the cross of Christ does man see fully what it is that separates him from God; yet it is here alone that he perceives that he is no longer separated from God. Nowehere else does the inviolable holiness of God, the impossibility of overlooking the guilt of man stand out more plainly; but nowhere else does the limitless mercy of God, which utterly transcends all human standards, stand out more clearly and plainly.” [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human separation from God is highlighted at the crucifixion, yet that moment also reveals divine mercy that overcomes all human judgment. **In simple terms:** The cross shows both our distance from God and His boundless mercy. Key Takeaway Recognize that suffering can reveal divine compassion. Themes theology redemption mercy Mood contemplative hopeful Type spiritual theological When to use this quote - personal crisis - spiritual reflection - ethical decision making - counseling Key Concepts Christology atonement holiness Questions to Reflect On - How does personal suffering shape your view of divine mercy? - Can you find God's compassion outside of suffering? A Different Perspective The claim may overlook other ways people experience God's presence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Holiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiness/) [Holiness of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiness-of-god/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Impossibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossibility/) [Limitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitless/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Mercy of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy-of-god/) [Standing out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing-out/) ## Related quotes > [The chief thing that separates us from God is the thought that we are separated from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/the-chief-thing-that-separates-us-from-god-is-the-thought-that-we-are/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) > [As a blind man has no idea of colors, so we have no idea of the manner by which the all-wise God perceives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/as-a-blind-man-has-no-idea-of-colors-so-we-have-no-idea-of-the-manner/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [As a blind man has no idea of colors, so have we no idea how the all-wise God perceives and understands all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/as-a-blind-man-has-no-idea-of-colors-so-have-we-no-idea-how-the-all/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Our selfish, sinful behaviour not only separates a husband and a wife, but it also separates us from God our greatest source of help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola-http-wwwamoreloveforlifecom/our-selfish-sinful-behaviour-not-only-separates-a-husband-and-a-wife/) Kemmy Nola Http://wwwamoreloveforlifecom > [The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, and which separates us from God and produces so many contagious spiritual disorders, is selfishness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-sin-which-is-indulged-to-the-greatest-extent-and-which-separates/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Man must cast out of himself everything which separates him from God. He must will to live the divine life, and he must rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/man-must-cast-out-of-himself-everything-which-separates-him-from-god/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [“Remember, the only thing that separates you from God is the thought that you are separate from God!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/remember-the-only-thing-that-separates-you-from-god-is-the-thought/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“Our business is to be free of anything that separates us from God who has created us to simply be happy and to progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/our-business-is-to-be-free-of-anything-that-separates-us-from-god-who/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [The sin which is indulged to the greatest extent, which separates us from God and produces so many spiritual disorders, and which are contagious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-sin-which-is-indulged-to-the-greatest-extent-which-separates-us/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [When any government separates from God and His law in Scripture and from His people and His church, it invites judgment on a personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/when-any-government-separates-from-god-and-his-law-in-scripture-and/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Man in harmony with his Creator is sublime, and his action is creative; equally, once he separates himself from God and acts alone, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/man-in-harmony-with-his-creator-is-sublime-and-his-action-is-creative/) [Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/) > [“And sometimes, no, oftentimes, we allow those mistakes to keep us from God. Our guilty conscience becomes a curtain that separates us from God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/and-sometimes-no-oftentimes-we-allow-those-mistakes-to-keep-us-from/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“We must always be careful when reading words written to Old Testament Israel , for we are often tempted to believe that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-turner/we-must-always-be-careful-when-reading-words-written-to-old-testament/) [Jeff Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-turner/) > [Our sin is what separates us from God, but it's our self righteousness that keeps us from running to Him for the grace He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/our-sin-is-what-separates-us-from-god-but-it-s-our-self-righteousness/) [Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/) > [Follow Christ in the denial of all the wills of self, and then all is put away that separates you from God; the heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/follow-christ-in-the-denial-of-all-the-wills-of-self-and-then-all-is/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) ## More by Emil Brunner > [What until recently seemed to be only the apocalyptic fantasies of the Christian faith has today entered the sphere of the soberest scientific calculations;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/what-until-recently-seemed-to-be-only-the-apocalyptic-fantasies-of/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The more man distinguishes himself from the rest of creation, the more he becomes conscious of himself as the subject, as an "I" to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-more-man-distinguishes-himself-from-the-rest-of-creation-the-more/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [So long as we stand "under the Law", we cannot perceive this hidden unity of all the commandments. It is part of legalism that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/so-long-as-we-stand-under-the-law-we-cannot-perceive-this-hidden/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [Hope is the positive mode of awaiting the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/hope-is-the-positive-mode-of-awaiting-the-future/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The more that man is able to distinguish himself from the rest of creation, the more he becomes conscious of himself as subject, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-more-that-man-is-able-to-distinguish-himself-from-the-rest-of/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-fire-exists-by-burning/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [For the Platonic or Aristotelian philosophy, it is of no importance whether Plato or Aristotle ever lived. For the mystical practice of an Indian,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/for-the-platonic-or-aristotelian-philosophy-it-is-of-no-importance/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/what-oxygen-is-to-the-lungs-such-is-hope-to-the-meaning-of-life/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [Faith is obedience, nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/faith-is-obedience-nothing-else/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning. Where there is no mission there is no Church; and where there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-church-exists-by-mission-just-as-a-fire-exists-by-burning-where/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [I am inexpressibly grateful that the Lord of my life has granted to me in such abundance these opportunities to take part in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/i-am-inexpressibly-grateful-that-the-lord-of-my-life-has-granted-to/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The Church exists by mission as fire exists by burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-church-exists-by-mission-as-fire-exists-by-burning/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [The Revelation of God is not a book or a doctrine, but a living Person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/the-revelation-of-god-is-not-a-book-or-a-doctrine-but-a-living-person/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) > [Hope . . . is one of the ways in which what is merely future and potential is made vividly present and actual to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/hope-is-one-of-the-ways-in-which-what-is-merely-future-and-potential/) [Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) [Explore all 15 Emil Brunner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! 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It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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