Posts Tagged ‘ Carry your cross ’
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
1 John 2:15-16, NASB
Love your neighbor, but do not desire his things. Love your neighbor, but do not desire her. Love your neighbor, but do not seek authority.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2, ESV
The best way to love your neighbor is to walk with them through life’s struggles.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24, NASB
We can not grow in Christ if we refuse to let go of our sinful desires. Christ died to remove our sins, not to remove all penalty if we choose to keep sinning.
Give up your evil desires, or you have not really accepted Christ, merely used Him.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24, NASB
Christianity is not a simple “Just believe, and all is good” faith. Jesus expects us to deny ourselves and look more like Him, to turn aside from sin and sacrificially love others.
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke 6:35, ESV
Life is not about “me”. Life is about “them” to the glory of God.
The early Christians were known for their sacrifices for others.
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:6, ESV
How did Jesus walk?
He was a servant, was a teacher and defender of God’s Word, and gave sacrificially to the point of death, and all through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
How are we to live?
The same way.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Mark 8:34-35, ESV
God’s primary concern is not our happiness and comfort in this life.
God’s primary concern is His glory through the salvation of His people. That frequently takes sacrifice and suffering, as our greatest example (Jesus) gave us through the cross.
