GDW 3-10-14 [Take Up Our Cross] ..... Matthew 10:38 Anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. ...... But what does it mean to take up our cross? Ive heard people refer to a hardship or difficult situation as my cross to bear, and I know many of us are facing these kind of hardships right now! But Gods Word contains no such reference to cross as hardship. The cross has only one Biblical association: Death! The only time anyone would carry their cross was when they were about to die. Yes, we are called to die. But the call is not to a physical death; this death will eventually come to us all, and there is never a need to hasten its arrival. The call of Jesus is to a death of self, the old sinful nature with its evil desires, dreams, and ambitions: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). We are called to a death which leads to true contentment and peace. But this death is not a one time event; we are called to die daily! And this death is never easy. Dont be surprised when every day seems to breath life into our old nature, when we begin to talk, act, and think contrary to the way of Christ. When this occurs, simply praise God for the conviction of His Spirit, take up the cross once again, and continue to follow down His path. As we die and completely surrender control to God, temptations of the world lose their pull and anxieties lose their source of concern. As we no longer live, we no longer focus on the cravings of our flesh nor about what tomorrow may or may not bring. As Christ lives in us, the enemy loses their ability to effectively attack - they are no longer attacking us but Christ..and He always wins!....
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 03:38:48 +0000