(Mat 10:38-39) {38} "And he who does not take his cross
and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
{39} "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who
loses his life for My sake will find it.
The Cross is one of the most neglected and
uncomfortable biblical messages of our day. It is literally contrary to most
everything the "American way, i.e., lifestyle" is about. Although it has become
a foundation doctrine in almost every theological camp and embellished with
rituals, songs and beautiful, ornate jewelry, its true revelation seems sadly
missing. In general, we seem to have lost its great relevance to our daily lives
and relegated all its value to Christ’s cross.
To be sure, Christ dying for our sins on
the cross is a pivotal truth in God’s eternal purpose, but the cross in the
Christians’ life is a pivotal issue as well. It is easily overlooked when
applied to the Christians’ cross, but it does apply.
(John 20:21) So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to
you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
You see, if the Father sent Him to bear
His cross, then ‘as’ the Father sent Him, we are sent with the same purpose. The
cross is an eternal life principal.
In beginning, we must realize while we are
citizens of an earthly nation, our citizenship rests in an eternal one, the
kingdom of God. We must never violate our citizenship in His eternal kingdom for
convenience, safety or comfort in an earthly one. Our Lord Jesus did not. When
standing before Pilate He was asked "Are You the king of the Jews?", He replied,
(John 18:36) ….. "My kingdom is not of this world. If
My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not
be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
He was not only the King of His Kingdom, but was subject to
its precepts.
Let us give definition to the basic
meaning of the Cross. In the model prayer in Matthew 6:10 they were instructed
to pray,
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven.
We also find the great issue in the Garden of Gethsemane
was the Father’s will. With the Cross in view, Jesus finally prayed,
(Luke 22:42) saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take
this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
So we understand, the Cross is all about
doing His will and not our own. The whole issue in the child of God’s life is
about the will of God.
The one thing we were left when we born
again was a will. The Father did not want a kingdom of robots. A robot does what
he is programmed to do. The heavenly Father wanted a household, a kingdom of
subjects and saints who responded to His love and loved Him in return, and
desired to please Him above everything else. Two Scriptures I would have us
consider here. The first is Romans 12:2.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
We must constantly be renewing our minds
so we may know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. And second, it is
part of God’s work within us. Philippians 2:13 states,
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for
His good pleasure.
Without His divine work within us, the
mission of the Holy Spirit, we could never will to do His good pleasure.
The cross-life is very fundamental in our daily walk. Jesus
said,
(Luke 9:23) 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.
It is what Paul meant when he penned Romans 12:1.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
Our reasonable service can never be
realized apart from our cross. A living sacrifice must have an altar just like
any other sacrifice, and that altar is the Cross. You see, His Cross becomes our
cross. It is that upon which we sacrifice our will for His.
There are some most unsavory things about
the cross as it relates to our self life. The cross is an instrument of death.
Also as an instrument of death, it speaks of pain and anguish. There is nothing
more filled with anguish to the carnal mind than forfeiting the will and desires
of the flesh.
There was a popular song in the ’70’s and
‘80’s called "I DID IT MY WAY’. It epitomized, even glorified the will of the
flesh and manifested everything contrary to the will of God. It is like saying
to God, "No thank You God. I’ll handle things myself, in my own way. I’ll get
what I want and set up my own life. It is what pleases me that matters."
Our Lord Jesus spoke plainly concerning this when He said,
(Luke 14:27) "And whoever does not bear his cross and
come after Me cannot be My disciple.
The proverbial "line in the sand." If you
bear not, you cannot! Nothing can be clearer than this. A disciple is more than
just a learner. It is defined as, a "disciple" was not only a pupil, but an
adherent; hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher.
There is such a difference between the
natural mind and the spiritual mind. The apostle Paul wrote of it in this
fashion.
(1 Cor 1:18 KJV) For the preaching of the cross is to
them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of
God.
To us, the cross is the power of God. It
is how our life is replaced by His. It reveals the reality of His power over sin
and our death to it.
We must see that the cross is not an
instrument of punishment for us. Our heavenly Father has no delight in this. He
disciplines us for our good and His good. But Christ’s life in us, the
cross-life, is so we might manifest Him. In 1 Peter 2:9 it is expressed in this
manner.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim (show forth) the
praises (excellencies) of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light;
The cross is the instrument of reconciliation, that which makes us one with
Him.
(Col 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of
his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say,
whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Of all the miracles ever done by our
heavenly Father, reconciliation to me is the most unfathomable. And yet, I know
He could not and would not have done less. It is perfect, as in all the ways of
God; one spirit with Him, Christ’s life in us, redemption, eternal purpose, our
seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand, bringing us into His glory, and
ad infinitum. These are what the apostle Paul referred to in Ephesians
3:8 as the unsearchable riches of Christ. It was all made possible
through Christ’s cross, and is manifest daily in our bearing ours.
This cross-life is the purpose for which
we are born again. It subtracts nothing of real or eternal value from our lives.
When we are born again, we are given a new nature, and must live out daily that
which brings satisfaction and fulfillment to it. This is found as we walk in the
law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and are set free from the law of sin
and death. As one said, we go from the pig pen of this world to the palace of
our God. We live as Sons of God and not children of the devil.
As we begin to see this, we are more able
to understand Galatians 6:14 when Paul wrote,
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world.
When Paul penned these words, he was not
having a religious fit, but was declaring the overwhelming wonder and
fulfillment of His life in Christ. He was saying, whatever else men may exult or
glory in, riches, fame, reputation, culture, beauty, knowledge, or anything
else, I will glory only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But I would have us look at one other thing. It concerns
Christ’s cross and what it lead to for Him.
(Heb 12:2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.
It was the joy set before Him, in spite of
the shame and pain that caused Him to endure the cross. I believe it was more
than His exaltation (and all it implies) alone that brought Him joy, I am
convinced it was basically two other things. First, it was the restoration of
His unfettered presence with the Father. There was no longer the
physical/earthly distance between them. They were now fully united as one again.
Second, I believe it was the anticipation of the saved taking their place with
Him at God’s right hand, ruling with Him in perfect harmony and purpose. I
believe He is looking forward with joy to every last one who is destined to be
seated at His right hand.
Our cross-life makes possible our fellowship with Him. But
then, the Word also declares,
(1 Cor 13:12) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but
then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also
am known.
OH what promise! Oh what anticipation! May we daily declare
with the apostle Paul,
(Phil 3:14) I press toward the goal for the prize of
the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Dear Lord, grant us the grace to grasp our
personal cross with love and joy in view of our relationship with You, our
fellowship with You. And, as we anticipate our complete union with You, minus
this body of death, may we press toward the mark of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus with joy, fervor, and faithfulness. In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen.
