ANYONE CAN WEAR A CROSS - BUT HAVE YOU TAKEN UP YOURS?
"If the Lord went to a cross for us, the least we can do is carry a cross for Him." - Bible Exposition Commentary
"The Cross is the pain of the self-denial required. The Cross is the symbol of doing our duty, even at the cost of the most painful death." - People's New Testament
"A man's self is to him the prime cause of most of his miseries." - Adam Clarke
"To deny myself is to put self out of the picture and to put Christ in the place of self." - J.Vernon McGee
"After all, the real war is inside - selfishness versus sacrifice." - Bible Exposition Commentary
"Let us therefore learn to connect these two things, that believers must bear the cross in order to follow their Master; that is, in order to conform to His example, and to abide by His footsteps like faithful companions." Calvin's Commentaries.
"If self-denial be a hard lesson, and against the grain to flesh and blood, it is no more than what our Master learned and practised before us and for us, both for our redemption and for our instruction; and the servant is not above his lord. Note, All the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ must deny themselves. It is the fundamental law of admission into Christ's school, and the first and great lesson to be learned in this school, to deny ourselves; it is both the strait gate, and the narrow way; it is necessary in order to our learning all the other good lessons that are there taught. We must deny ourselves absolutely, we must not admire our own shadow, nor gratify our own humour; we must not lean to our own understanding, nor seek our own things, nor be our own end. We must deny ourselves comparatively; we must deny ourselves for Christ, and His will and glory, and the service of His interest in the world; we must deny ourselves for our brethren, and for their good; and we must deny ourselves for ourselves, deny the appetites of the body for the benefit of the soul. - Matthew Henry
"That which we have to do, is, not only to bear the cross (that a stock, or a stone, or a stick may do), not only to be silent under it, but we must take up the cross, must improve it to some good advantage. We should not say, "This is an evil, and I must bear it, because I cannot help it;" but, "This is an evil, and I will bear it, because it shall work for my good." When we rejoice in our afflictions, and glory in them, then we take up the cross. This fitly follows upon denying ourselves; for he that will not deny himself the pleasures of sin, and the advantages of this world for Christ, when it comes to the push, will never have the heart to take up his cross." - Matthew Henry
Matthew 16:24 says - "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up His cross, and follow Me."
Mark 8:34 says - "And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Luke 9:23 says - "And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Matthew 10:38 says - "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me."
In these Scriptures, the Lord Jesus presented two approaches to life for the believer. He is given a choice. He can either deny himself or live for himself...take up his cross or ignore his cross... follow Christ or follow the world...forsake the world or seek to gain the whole world.
In these Scriptures, Jesus also laid down the conditions or stem requirements for discipleship for any and all who wanted to "follow Him." They are simply - "deny yourself" and "take up your cross daily."
The question is - Just how many Christians are fulfilling these requirements? Are you?
How many disciples does Jesus have in the world today? Oh, He may have many followers who are following Him for the miracles, "loaves and fishes," or manifold blessings. But who exactly is following Him simply because He is God in the flesh?
His true disciples are not concerned about gaining the world and its wealth and pleasures. They are solely set on "winning Him" and glorifying Him in the short time that they have in this world! Does this describe your heart's intent?
This message is meant to place a "spotlight" on your walk with Jesus to see if you are really "worthy of Him" - "worthy" to call yourself by His Name - which is "Christian." It is also meant to stir you onto perfection - to get you to see where you are "missing it" and to provoke you to align your daily walk with His Word.
The first requirement for discipleship that Jesus gave is to - "deny yourself."
This entails -
...surrendering to God your will, affections, and body
...not seeking your own happiness as the supreme object
...being willing to renounce all and lay down your life
...saying "no" to the strong cravings of your nature in reference to earthly ease, comfort, dignity, and glory
...renouncing self-dependence and selfish pursuits
...parting with sinful self, ungodliness, worldly lusts, and sinful companions
...denying yourself of the pleasures, profits, and advantages of this world when they are in competition with Christ
...dropping and banishing all notions of an earthly kingdom and worldly grandeur
...renouncing all confidence in your own righteousness and strength
...giving yourself wholly to Christ and sharing in His shame and death
...consenting to be reduced to nothing
...resolving to live not for pleasure but usefulness / not for selfish inclinations but duty
...and brutally setting aside pride, fear, and all rights which your old self may demand as its due.
It simply means living a Jesus-kind of life.
The second requirement for discipleship that He gave is - "take up your cross daily."
This entails -
...embracing the conditions which God has appointed for your life
...patiently and cheerfully bearing the troubles and difficulties that you may meet with in walking the Christian walk
...accommodating yourself to the will of God
...doing whatever God wills
...conforming yourself to the pattern of a crucified Jesus
...identifying with Jesus in His rejection, shame, suffering, and death
...identifying with Jesus in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice
...living a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of this world
...not indulging ease and appetite
...boldly and fearlessly confessing Christ in a wicked world and obeying Him in spite of the suffering and shame
...dying to self DAILY
These are two approaches to life...two ways to resemble Christ... two ways to distinguish between the true and false followers of Jesus.
Remember - "If the Lord went to a cross for us, the least we can do is carry a cross for Him."
Are you?
Anyone can wear a Cross - but have you taken up yours?
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org
Walking In Truth Ministry | P.O. Box 383016 | Duncanville | TX | 75138
"The Cross is the pain of the self-denial required. The Cross is the symbol of doing our duty, even at the cost of the most painful death." - People's New Testament
"A man's self is to him the prime cause of most of his miseries." - Adam Clarke
"To deny myself is to put self out of the picture and to put Christ in the place of self." - J.Vernon McGee
"After all, the real war is inside - selfishness versus sacrifice." - Bible Exposition Commentary
"Let us therefore learn to connect these two things, that believers must bear the cross in order to follow their Master; that is, in order to conform to His example, and to abide by His footsteps like faithful companions." Calvin's Commentaries.
"If self-denial be a hard lesson, and against the grain to flesh and blood, it is no more than what our Master learned and practised before us and for us, both for our redemption and for our instruction; and the servant is not above his lord. Note, All the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ must deny themselves. It is the fundamental law of admission into Christ's school, and the first and great lesson to be learned in this school, to deny ourselves; it is both the strait gate, and the narrow way; it is necessary in order to our learning all the other good lessons that are there taught. We must deny ourselves absolutely, we must not admire our own shadow, nor gratify our own humour; we must not lean to our own understanding, nor seek our own things, nor be our own end. We must deny ourselves comparatively; we must deny ourselves for Christ, and His will and glory, and the service of His interest in the world; we must deny ourselves for our brethren, and for their good; and we must deny ourselves for ourselves, deny the appetites of the body for the benefit of the soul. - Matthew Henry
"That which we have to do, is, not only to bear the cross (that a stock, or a stone, or a stick may do), not only to be silent under it, but we must take up the cross, must improve it to some good advantage. We should not say, "This is an evil, and I must bear it, because I cannot help it;" but, "This is an evil, and I will bear it, because it shall work for my good." When we rejoice in our afflictions, and glory in them, then we take up the cross. This fitly follows upon denying ourselves; for he that will not deny himself the pleasures of sin, and the advantages of this world for Christ, when it comes to the push, will never have the heart to take up his cross." - Matthew Henry
Matthew 16:24 says - "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up His cross, and follow Me."
Mark 8:34 says - "And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
Luke 9:23 says - "And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Matthew 10:38 says - "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me."
In these Scriptures, the Lord Jesus presented two approaches to life for the believer. He is given a choice. He can either deny himself or live for himself...take up his cross or ignore his cross... follow Christ or follow the world...forsake the world or seek to gain the whole world.
In these Scriptures, Jesus also laid down the conditions or stem requirements for discipleship for any and all who wanted to "follow Him." They are simply - "deny yourself" and "take up your cross daily."
The question is - Just how many Christians are fulfilling these requirements? Are you?
How many disciples does Jesus have in the world today? Oh, He may have many followers who are following Him for the miracles, "loaves and fishes," or manifold blessings. But who exactly is following Him simply because He is God in the flesh?
His true disciples are not concerned about gaining the world and its wealth and pleasures. They are solely set on "winning Him" and glorifying Him in the short time that they have in this world! Does this describe your heart's intent?
This message is meant to place a "spotlight" on your walk with Jesus to see if you are really "worthy of Him" - "worthy" to call yourself by His Name - which is "Christian." It is also meant to stir you onto perfection - to get you to see where you are "missing it" and to provoke you to align your daily walk with His Word.
The first requirement for discipleship that Jesus gave is to - "deny yourself."
This entails -
...surrendering to God your will, affections, and body
...not seeking your own happiness as the supreme object
...being willing to renounce all and lay down your life
...saying "no" to the strong cravings of your nature in reference to earthly ease, comfort, dignity, and glory
...renouncing self-dependence and selfish pursuits
...parting with sinful self, ungodliness, worldly lusts, and sinful companions
...denying yourself of the pleasures, profits, and advantages of this world when they are in competition with Christ
...dropping and banishing all notions of an earthly kingdom and worldly grandeur
...renouncing all confidence in your own righteousness and strength
...giving yourself wholly to Christ and sharing in His shame and death
...consenting to be reduced to nothing
...resolving to live not for pleasure but usefulness / not for selfish inclinations but duty
...and brutally setting aside pride, fear, and all rights which your old self may demand as its due.
It simply means living a Jesus-kind of life.
The second requirement for discipleship that He gave is - "take up your cross daily."
This entails -
...embracing the conditions which God has appointed for your life
...patiently and cheerfully bearing the troubles and difficulties that you may meet with in walking the Christian walk
...accommodating yourself to the will of God
...doing whatever God wills
...conforming yourself to the pattern of a crucified Jesus
...identifying with Jesus in His rejection, shame, suffering, and death
...identifying with Jesus in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice
...living a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of this world
...not indulging ease and appetite
...boldly and fearlessly confessing Christ in a wicked world and obeying Him in spite of the suffering and shame
...dying to self DAILY
These are two approaches to life...two ways to resemble Christ... two ways to distinguish between the true and false followers of Jesus.
Remember - "If the Lord went to a cross for us, the least we can do is carry a cross for Him."
Are you?
Anyone can wear a Cross - but have you taken up yours?
May God Bless His Word,
Connie
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to Daily Bible Messages at - connie@walkingintruth.org
Walking In Truth Ministry | P.O. Box 383016 | Duncanville | TX | 75138
Comment
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
You need to be a member of Black Preaching Network to add comments!
Join Black Preaching Network