Take Up Your Cross!
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If any one would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but He is also speaking to you and me today. Jesus tells us to "deny" ourselves. By this He means for us to submit to Him and His authority and not give in to our fleshly desires. We are to seek His will above all else. He tells us to "take up our cross and follow Him." Here, He is telling us just as He took up the cross of all our sin and shame over two-thousand years ago and submitted to the will of the Father, we are to do the same. We are to follow Him. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) There are not many ways to heaven; there is only one way and that way is Jesus Christ! False religions teach that there are many roads that lead to heaven. My friend this is a lie! False religions will emphasize faith plus works or in works alone-stating that if you are "good" enough you will get into heaven. They may say that Jesus was a good man or a prophet or they may say that you are your own god. All of these religions have deviated from the Truth. Unfortunately, as the last days approach, we will see more and more false religions emerge.
Following Jesus is not always an easy thing to do, however, He will give us His grace and His peace to face whatever He brings our way. Jesus never promised that we would always be "happy" and have everything we want, but He did promise that He would never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
As you study all of the great men and women of the Bible, you will find that they endured many hardships and difficulties, but they all shared something in common and this was that God never left them and others came to Christ as they watched these men and women live their lives out for God. Romans 8:28-29 tells us that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers." As God conforms us into the image of His Son, that means that we endure and suffer just as Jesus did. Our goal should be to always bring God glory. It is not about us, but all about Him! "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
As we grow in Christ and submit, we will be more and more like Him and desire what the Father wants for us, laying our desires aside. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
Press on my friend, and know that your labor is not in vain!1 Corinthians 15:58 One day as believers, you and I will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There, the Lord will look at our lives and we will receive crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus for all we did for Him and His glory. Everything else will be burned up. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10 I want to hear God say, 'Well done, thy good and faithful servant!!!'
So, my friend, I encourage you to press on and to "fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:2-3
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but He is also speaking to you and me today. Jesus tells us to "deny" ourselves. By this He means for us to submit to Him and His authority and not give in to our fleshly desires. We are to seek His will above all else. He tells us to "take up our cross and follow Him." Here, He is telling us just as He took up the cross of all our sin and shame over two-thousand years ago and submitted to the will of the Father, we are to do the same. We are to follow Him. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) There are not many ways to heaven; there is only one way and that way is Jesus Christ! False religions teach that there are many roads that lead to heaven. My friend this is a lie! False religions will emphasize faith plus works or in works alone-stating that if you are "good" enough you will get into heaven. They may say that Jesus was a good man or a prophet or they may say that you are your own god. All of these religions have deviated from the Truth. Unfortunately, as the last days approach, we will see more and more false religions emerge.
Following Jesus is not always an easy thing to do, however, He will give us His grace and His peace to face whatever He brings our way. Jesus never promised that we would always be "happy" and have everything we want, but He did promise that He would never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
As you study all of the great men and women of the Bible, you will find that they endured many hardships and difficulties, but they all shared something in common and this was that God never left them and others came to Christ as they watched these men and women live their lives out for God. Romans 8:28-29 tells us that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers." As God conforms us into the image of His Son, that means that we endure and suffer just as Jesus did. Our goal should be to always bring God glory. It is not about us, but all about Him! "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
As we grow in Christ and submit, we will be more and more like Him and desire what the Father wants for us, laying our desires aside. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
Press on my friend, and know that your labor is not in vain!1 Corinthians 15:58 One day as believers, you and I will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There, the Lord will look at our lives and we will receive crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus for all we did for Him and His glory. Everything else will be burned up. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10 I want to hear God say, 'Well done, thy good and faithful servant!!!'
So, my friend, I encourage you to press on and to "fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:2-3
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