Take Up Your Cross
Many Christians approach the cross of Christ. However, to be a true disciple requires more than approaching the cross. In Luke 9:23-24 Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
In order to live for Christ we must crucify the worldly nature that we inherited from Adam to live according to the heavenly nature we inherited from Christ. The cross is the instrument by which we die to self in order to live for Him. Galations 2:20 says, “For I have been crucified with Christ.” When we come to the cross, we must abandon our pride to enter into the place of personal abandonment and absolute trust.
The Roman soldiers did not kill Jesus on the cross of Calvary. They did not take his life. He lovingly and willingly gave up his life after he shed his life blood as the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. It was not the nails that kept him on the cross, rather it was the love that he had for you and me. According to Hebrews, Jesus, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God.
There are things going on in our physical bodies that only God knows and that only God can heal. Likewise, there are things going on in the church, the body of Christ, that only God can heal. Men of the world and Christian men often do things without knowing the purpose and value of their actions. Our challenge is to “put one on the scoreboard for our Lord.” For we are His living epistles known and read of all men.
How do we spread the word about the gospel of the good news of Christ? Jesus rarely ministered to the multitudes. He taught by example those who followed him closely. The question is, “who are your three and who are your twelve?” As the old song says, “love the one you’re with.” The disciples asked Jesus, “who’s my neighbor.” Jesus taught them the story of the Good Samaritan. The point of this story is that your “neighbor” is the person in need who is right next to you. Jesus came to bind up the wounds of the broken and the broken hearted and to show them the unconditional love of God in manifestation.
There is a spiritual cause behind every earthly effect. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. All men who have been born again of the spirit of life in Christ are engaged in spiritual warfare whether or not they realize it.
The weakest things of God are stronger than the greatest strength of men. To overcome the power of darkness is to walk in the light as he is in the light. Our identity with Christ is the cross of Christ. For I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me. We identify with Christ in our Actions not in our intentions. Love is an action verb. We were called to love our Lord by our actions for we are his living epistles.
Anything we do that is acceptable unto God begins with our denying ourselves. Anything done for our own self-fulfillment, will come to naught. Pride is the first enemy to be defeated. We must crucify our flesh in order to live for Him.
King Uzziah built up his military and became mighty according to the world’s standards. In his strength he was lifted up with pride and thought that he could approach God on his own terms instead of God’s terms. According to 2 Chronicles 26: 14 and following: “And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons (armor), and bows, and slings to cast stones.
15 And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.
16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
21 And Uzziah the king was a leper for he was cut off from the house of the LORD”
According to Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Another example of this principle is in 2 Chronicles 35: 20- 23: “After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.
22 Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded.”
By his prideful disobedience Josiah did not accept God’s warning. He suffered the consequences of his disobedience.
The greatest test in life is not your success but your failures. When we fail according to the world’s standards, then God can intervene. James said, rejoice in tribulation. For when we are weak in our flesh, then we are strong in the power of His might. As John the Baptist said, “less of me and more of thee…I must decrease that he may increase.”
As Martin Luther wrote in his great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God:
“Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be losing, We’re not the right hand on our side, the man of God’s own choosing.
Doth ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus it is he. And he must win the battle.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael