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Taking Up My Cross: What It Is, What It's Not
- Mar 26, 2009 at 12:52 PM
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- Comments (11) Total Views (151) Everyone can see this journal post.
How many times have you heard the phrase, “Well, it’s just my cross to bear”…usually accompanied by a resigning bitterness or claim to martyrdom.
Perhaps you’ve said it, too. I have.
The Apostle Peter keeps us humble when he reminds us in his first letter-- chapter 4 verse 12--that we are not to think our fiery trials as strange things happening only to us.
For the word, “strange”, let’s substitute unique.
We’re not singled out by God--either to be picked on or deemed special enough to suffer.
Suffering (identifying with Christ’s self-denial) is every Christian’s calling.
Being willing to fellowship (experience) this suffering in your own life qualifies you to share in the power of His Resurrection (Philippians 3:10).
Let’s look at Jesus’ words:
"And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38 (ASV)
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 ASV)
"And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34-35 ASV)
“And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 ASV)
“Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 12:47 ASV)
Putting these passages together, we find:
1) It is not Jesus’ Cross we take up, but our own.
2) Taking up our cross is indeed, self-denial.
3) We are to take it up with the purpose of conforming to Jesus.
4) It is a daily discipline.
5) It is optional—only for those who want to be a disciple rather than just a follower.
6) Any confessing believer who doesn’t, however, is not “worthy” (Greek-deserving) of Jesus.
Since we each have unique situations and circumstances that involve cross-bearing, our focus should not be on WHAT we carry as much as HOW we bear it. The Apostle Paul warned in II Corinthians 10:12 that it is unwise to compare ourselves to other Christians!
However, bearing one’s own cross IS NOT:
1) The consequences of sin
2) The consequences of God’s chastisement
A homosexual once told me he believed God gave him his lifestyle; therefore, the social and even physical problems he suffered were just part of the cross he had to bear.
No! You don’t “bear” sin--you repent of it, and then cooperate with the Holy Spirit in disentangling your mind, emotions, and behavior patterns from its effects. You allow Him to peel back the layers and address the root of what caused you to step outside of God’s original purpose for your sexuality.
Conversely, any Christian who is currently reaping what they have sown needs to quit misleading people and just repent for the seeds they planted. God will be merciful! There is no glory, says the Scriptures, in being buffeted for our sins (I Peter 2:20).
What is a genuine cross to bear?
It is being compelled beyond the pain of self-denial towards a greater purpose than our personal happiness or comfort!
Jesus struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane…not with WHAT He had to do, but HOW the Father chose for redemption to be accomplished. The Gospel of Luke records that this battle to surrender His will to the Father’s was so intense that His sweat became as drops of blood! (Luke 22:44)
In the end, Jesus was able to say: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
Cross-bearers are nevertheless Christians!
The WAY you bear your cross through sickness, grief, lack, loss, estranged relationships, a difficult marriage, slander and persecution conforms you to the image of Christ. It will be your gift to Him when faith becomes sight. (I Peter 1:7)
In addition, your cross-bearing, if borne in humility, can influence others for Christ better than your strengths. Peter reminds us that unsaved men may be won by the conduct of their believing wives (I Peter 3:1).
When I was still in broadcasting, a Christian co-worker said she was embarrassed for others to know her husband had left; she was faced with mounting debts and raising two kids alone. She considered it a bad testimony.
I told her it could be her BEST witnessing yet! Unbelievers need to know that Christians are not immune from similar problems because we all live in a fallen world where people are free to exercise their flawed wills for good or bad—including Christians.
However, HOW we handle a crisis as Christians should be different; our suffering should be joyful because it has a redemptive purpose--even if we don’t have the first clue as to what God is accomplishing through our situation.
The essence of authentic cross-bearing is dying to self in big and little ways. We often find it less troubling to give up time or allow for occasional interruptions in our daily plans. At other times, we all enter our own Gethsemane (place of pressing) alone to surrender our dreams, relationships, comforts, and even our safety.
“Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” (I Peter 4:19)
I can bear your burdens, but not your cross.“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ…” (Galatians 6:2)
Yet, in just a few verses later, the Apostle Paul says, “For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Verse 5)
This definitely appears contradictory at first, but the key is in the translation of the word burden.
In verse 2, the Greek word baros is used. It means “weight”. The heaviness of your cross is my concern, and I should look for ways to continually strengthen and encourage you.
Phortion is the Greek word used in verse 5. It represents an "invoice, task, or service". Since God gives the task, no one should attempt to lessen or remove another’s cross.
In Gethsemane, it’s difficult to see the gift we’ve been given. Our faith in the goodness of God is severely tested, much like that of Jeremiah’s:
“Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"
“Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister…
“…and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God's faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece…” (Jeremiah 15:18-19 Amplified)
In my Christian life, the two commands in the above passages have helped me stay the course when I could see the storm, but not the hand of God:
Give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair
Cleanse your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God's faithfulness
God delivers us from some things--out of others. “Why” may remain in His sovereign knowledge during our earthly lives. If we do get a glimpse into His ways for us, it is often AFTER we have passed through the troubling event.
For instance, my friend Nancy prayed for her infant son who had a heart defect. His life expectancy was bleak. God healed him to the amazement of the doctors. He is in his twenties today and doing fine!
Years later, Nancy was ill and the doctors wanted to do surgery. Again, she prayed for healing, but grew worse with the passing of time. She finally arranged for the surgery, trusting herself to God’s will in the situation.
After being prepped, Nancy was waiting to be wheeled into the OR. Another surgery patient was on the gurney next to her. The elderly man heard Nancy quietly praying.
“Are you a Christian?” he asked.
“Yes,” answered Nancy, turning to look at the man.
“I…I ain’t right with God, ma’am. I don’t even know how to make it right.”
My friend led him to the Lord—right there. Later, Nancy discovered that he died on the operating table.
You see, God still healed her…His way. And God’s ways address issues far beyond what’s going on in our world!
Cross-bearing is optional. We can always refuse the opportunity; thereby refusing the gift and the power we possess to turn it into a blessing for others. We can selfishly refuse and grow embittered over our circumstances.
“Though He (Jesus) was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8)
The Greek word Manthano, rendered in English as "learned", more accurately suggests that Jesus “mastered” obedience.
Yes…Jesus, the Son of God had to do this!
Although He was fully God and fully man, the Son voluntarily limited all advantages of being God when He assumed human flesh to live in our world. He did this in order to serve the redemptive will of the Father as a perfect substitute for sinful humanity.
We, too, must master obedience through cross-bearing. Jesus did not assert His rights as God during His earthly mission, and neither should we demand our rights to any special privileges and blessings as we continue His ministry.
How does God view our cross bearing?
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.” (Romans 12:1
No one likes his or her cross. The Bible records that Jesus endured His Cross because of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).
Humanity was that joy before Him! We loomed larger in His vision than the pain and shame of His Cross.
Now, this same passage in Hebrews exhorts us to reciprocate…and keep our eyes on “Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith”. Now…HE is our joy!
The cross we once desperately petitioned God to remove can actually become an indwelling joy (much deeper than happiness)…enabling us to endure until God’s purpose is accomplished.
Don’t refuse it; don’t waste it. Just pick up your cross and follow.
AUDIOCAST: http://www.imeem.com/goinwell
Comments:
AMEN THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS KEEP UP THE GOOD POST FOR JESUS.. AND ME .
OH THIS IS EXCELLENT!! THANK YOU!!
this is excellent...amazing how God works...sermon at church on Sunday was this same thing...how often we feel we are some how edified by our own sufferings, when God should recieve the Glory for seeing us through..Great post
I really needed this today. Thank you for being His tool.
Sigh... I can't believe some people still don't understand that gay people are indeed born that way, and do NOT choose to be gay. Seriously. I couldn't be bothered reading the rest after that little gem.
Anouck,
Since you posted the statement, "gay people are indeed born that way," I respectfully ask that you provide me with the sources you deem authoritative for such a belief.
Christians have to be good stewards of what we say. We must be willing to back up our words with credible Biblical and corresponding medical/scientific research.
Please do this for the benefit of the readers of this site.
Thank you
First off, I'm sorry, but biblical research does not carry any credibility when it comes to proving anything...
Now obviously, gay men and women could CHOOSE to suppress their attraction to same sex partners and live their lives denying their true nature, but that does NOT make them straight. Furthermore, why would anybody choose to be gay, knowing they will be discriminated against, hated, and austricised by the unfortunately still massive amounts of bigots out there?
Anyway, as for links, I think it's obvious that you can find "research" that goes either way. So instead, I'm going to post a link to an article that I thought was very thought provoking and informative. Take from it what you wish.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/
Thank you, Anouck.
I read your link, and am always interested in the latest research.
Although your article from 2005 refers to the discovery of a "gay gene", researchers world-wide have now refuted the integrity Hamer's study.
http://www.narth.com/docs/fading.html
However, here's an interesting article on how--though not created imperfectly--we are all prone to be born with certain defects, flaws, and hampering propensities because we live in a world blemished by man.
These predispositions can be addressed after birth in varying ways and degrees; they can emerge early or later in life, influenced by family dynamics.
http://www.narth.com/docs/bornthatway.html
Finally, here's an interesting article on twin studies:
http://www.narth.com/docs/whitehead2.html
Thank you,
Mary Diane
Ummm, no disrespect, but providing me with links from a website that claims it "upholds the rights of individuals with unwanted homosexual attraction to receive effective psychological care, and the right of professionals to offer that care", really doesn't encourage me to believe ONE word said website claims as the truth...
Matter of fact, I find that site to be INCREDIBLY offensive. It obviously sees homosexuality as a disease/psychological defect that can be "fixed".
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