rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
"Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me'" (Lk 9:23).
The Cross is the focus of God's entire plan of redemption. It is not just the way of salvation. It is also a way of life. But before we can take up our cross and follow the Lord, we first need to understand what we are taking up. There are three aspects to the Cross:
The heart of the cross
... "who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" (2Ti.1:9).
The Cross was not something God thought up at the last moment. From the moment of Adam's fall, the plan of the Cross was put in motion. The "heart of the Cross", the sacrificial love which resulted in the sending of Jesus to die, has always been in the heart of the Father. His love is absolute. The Cross was simply its greatest expression.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life" (Jn.3:16).
The Work of the Cross
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
Two thousand years ago, the heart of the Cross was enacted upon the Cross of Calvary. This was the historic sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross which we look back to. This work of the Cross has two important parts:
Christ died for you and Christ died as you.
Many Christians understand the first part of the work of the Cross (the receiving of eternal life), but don't understand the second part (living as a new creation). Many believe they are now supposed to "die out to themselves" and "crucify the old man." But the Bible tells us that you have already been crucified with Christ. This was the work of the Cross for you. You do not have to try to struggle to "die" to sin. You are already dead to sin in Christ (Gal.5:24). Just as Jesus died to sin once for all time, so you are now to count yourself dead to sin once for all time! And just as Jesus is now alive to God, so you too are alive to God in Christ!
The Way of the Cross
"And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Lk.14:27).
When Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him, He did not mean for us to crucify ourselves. We cannot kill off the old nature. That was the work of the Cross. It is the new creation that takes up its cross and lays down its life for others. It means:
Having the Heart of the Cross.
We are called to have the heart of the Cross like the Father. God has designed for this heart of sacrificial love to motivate the new creation life.
Bearing the Shame of the Cross.
When we take up our cross we are bearing the shame of the Cross like the Son (1 Peter 2:19-23). Note that Jesus told us to take up our cross, not to actually crucify ourselves. Before a prisoner was crucified, they were required to carry their own cross to the execution site. This involved great shame (1 Cor.4:9-13). When we take up our cross, we bear the shame of the Lord for the sake of others.
Denying Ourselves.
We deny our own interests and comfort by the Holy Spirit. We do not do this because we are trying to complete our own salvation. We do this because of love for God and love for others .
The Cross is the focus of God's entire plan of redemption. It is not just the way of salvation. It is also a way of life. But before we can take up our cross and follow the Lord, we first need to understand what we are taking up. There are three aspects to the Cross:
The heart of the cross
... "who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" (2Ti.1:9).
The Cross was not something God thought up at the last moment. From the moment of Adam's fall, the plan of the Cross was put in motion. The "heart of the Cross", the sacrificial love which resulted in the sending of Jesus to die, has always been in the heart of the Father. His love is absolute. The Cross was simply its greatest expression.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life" (Jn.3:16).
The Work of the Cross
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
Two thousand years ago, the heart of the Cross was enacted upon the Cross of Calvary. This was the historic sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross which we look back to. This work of the Cross has two important parts:
Christ died for you and Christ died as you.
Many Christians understand the first part of the work of the Cross (the receiving of eternal life), but don't understand the second part (living as a new creation). Many believe they are now supposed to "die out to themselves" and "crucify the old man." But the Bible tells us that you have already been crucified with Christ. This was the work of the Cross for you. You do not have to try to struggle to "die" to sin. You are already dead to sin in Christ (Gal.5:24). Just as Jesus died to sin once for all time, so you are now to count yourself dead to sin once for all time! And just as Jesus is now alive to God, so you too are alive to God in Christ!
The Way of the Cross
"And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Lk.14:27).
When Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him, He did not mean for us to crucify ourselves. We cannot kill off the old nature. That was the work of the Cross. It is the new creation that takes up its cross and lays down its life for others. It means:
Having the Heart of the Cross.
We are called to have the heart of the Cross like the Father. God has designed for this heart of sacrificial love to motivate the new creation life.
Bearing the Shame of the Cross.
When we take up our cross we are bearing the shame of the Cross like the Son (1 Peter 2:19-23). Note that Jesus told us to take up our cross, not to actually crucify ourselves. Before a prisoner was crucified, they were required to carry their own cross to the execution site. This involved great shame (1 Cor.4:9-13). When we take up our cross, we bear the shame of the Lord for the sake of others.
Denying Ourselves.
We deny our own interests and comfort by the Holy Spirit. We do not do this because we are trying to complete our own salvation. We do this because of love for God and love for others .
