Our cross is God's will for our lives, regardless of the cost. Taking up our cross is a choice; it is not beyond our control. We may have health problems, a rebellious child, financial pressures, many different things, but we must not mistake these as our "cross to bear." Neither circumstances we face nor consequences of our own actions are our cross.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24.
Our cross will be to voluntarily participate in Christ's sufferings as He carries out His redemptive purposes. The apostle Paul wrote that he rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew that by them he was able to participate in the suffering required to bring others into Christian maturity.
Many of us tend to want to go immediately from denying ourselves to following Jesus. But I believe that we can never follow Jesus unless we have first taken up our cross. There are aspects of God's redemptive work that can be accomplished only through suffering. Just as Jesus had to suffer in order to bring salvation, there will be hardships we may have to endure in order for God to bring salvation to those around us. If you study the life of Jesus in the Scriptures, you would notice that Jesus did not talk to His disciples about the cross until they had come to know He was the Christ. We will never be able to endure the suffering of the cross unless we have first been convinced that Jesus is the Christ! Once we have settled our relationship with Jesus, He will introduce us to our cross.
Many people do not like to hear, or believe this next statement, but the truth is that there is no Christianity without a cross. If we are waiting for a relationship with God that never requires suffering or inconvenience, then we cannot use Christ as our model. God's will for us involves a cross! First, we take up our cross, then we can follow Him.
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24.
Our cross will be to voluntarily participate in Christ's sufferings as He carries out His redemptive purposes. The apostle Paul wrote that he rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew that by them he was able to participate in the suffering required to bring others into Christian maturity.
Many of us tend to want to go immediately from denying ourselves to following Jesus. But I believe that we can never follow Jesus unless we have first taken up our cross. There are aspects of God's redemptive work that can be accomplished only through suffering. Just as Jesus had to suffer in order to bring salvation, there will be hardships we may have to endure in order for God to bring salvation to those around us. If you study the life of Jesus in the Scriptures, you would notice that Jesus did not talk to His disciples about the cross until they had come to know He was the Christ. We will never be able to endure the suffering of the cross unless we have first been convinced that Jesus is the Christ! Once we have settled our relationship with Jesus, He will introduce us to our cross.
Many people do not like to hear, or believe this next statement, but the truth is that there is no Christianity without a cross. If we are waiting for a relationship with God that never requires suffering or inconvenience, then we cannot use Christ as our model. God's will for us involves a cross! First, we take up our cross, then we can follow Him.
May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
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