The Principles of the Cross in Us

"If any man will come after me; let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" Luke 9:23 (KJV).

WHAT 'TAKING UP THE CROSS DAILY' DOES NOT MEAN

It does NOT mean that we must try to die out to our old sinful nature each day. This is impossible for us to do and was the very reason why it was necessary for Jesus to come and die in our place. It was a work that could only be done by God Himself. In Christ, dying as my representative, God put ME to death.

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" Romans 6:6 .

This was a once-for-all act that took place 2,000 years ago. It becomes our personal experience as we reach back by faith and receive what He has accomplished for us.

"The death he died, he died to sin ONCE for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. IN THE SAME WAY, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" Romans 6:10-11.

Jesus' death dealt with the sin problem that was in our flesh.

"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man" Romans 8:3.

This does not mean it is no longer possible for a Christian to sin. We still have the ability to choose to sin if we want to, but the wonderful truth of the Gospel is that we no longer HAVE TO because the very nature of sin that was within us has been dealt with by the Cross (see 1John 2:1 ) .

WHAT 'TAKING UP THE CROSS DAILY' DOES MEAN

NOT BEING GOVERNED BY NATURAL HUMAN DESIRES

The cross was a form of execution. Jesus not only ultimately died on the Cross, but the principle of the cross in His life was a daily experience. He was without sin, but He had taken on human flesh and felt all the natural desires and needs of a human being (see Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15). He could feel tired and hungry, and He knew discomfort (see John 4:6; Matthew 4:2-4 and 8:20). But Jesus did not live for Himself - His own desires and comforts. His natural flesh did not govern His life. He lived bearing the cross daily. Jesus' death was our death, and His resurrection was our resurrection. We have been raised in Him - a new creation! (see Ephesians 2:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:17). But we are still in human flesh, and so, as Jesus did when He walked the earth in the flesh, we now must take up the cross daily and follow in His footsteps.

HAVING THE SAME ATTITUDES JESUS HAD

Having received the truth of the death of our "old self" with Christ on the Cross, and realising we have been raised with Him to heavenly places, God now desires that we express in our daily lives the same attitudes He expressed as He went to the Cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 gives us the directive:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"

SIX ATTITUDES OF THE CROSS

1. PURPOSE

Jesus knew His rightful position and relationship with God, but by His own choice came down to earth. He came because He had a mission to fulfil. His whole purpose was to go to the Cross, for He knew that it would be through His death and resurrection that salvation would come to man. Through His whole life on earth He never lost sight of His mission.

"As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem . . . " Luke 9:51.

We, too, are called of God. Our mission is to reach every man and woman with the wonderful news that salvation is available through Christ (see Matthew 28:18-20).

"Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with youl As the Father has sent me, l am sending you' " John 20:21.

No earthly comfort, possession, or reputation is more important than the purpose to which we are called. We, too, know our position and relationship with God in Christ and now, with our eyes firmly set on our mission, we take up our cross daily to see that mission fulfilled.

2. LOVE

Jesus took up the Cross not for Himself but for others. So it is with us.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" 1John 3:16.

3. SURRENDER

Jesus surrendered His whole life to the will of His Father, because of His great love for Him. This, too, is the expression of our love to God.

" 'My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work' " John 4:34 (see also Hebrews 10:7 and Matthew 26:36-46).

4. SERVANT-HEART

Though He was Lord of all, by His own choice He became the servant of all. This is our choice, too.

". . . But I am among you as one who serves" Luke 22:24-27 (see also Mark 10:45;John 13:3-17).

5. FORGIVENESS

In the face of the mockery of His enemies and opposition to the point of death, Jesus forgave those who were hurting Him. This, too, should be our attitude (see Luke 23:33-43 and Matthew 18:21-22).

6. VISION

Jesus saw beyond the suffering of the Cross to the resurrection and the glorious result of the souls He would bring to His Father. This vision gave Him the strength to bear the Cross. Faith in the victory ahead gives us strength through our trials.

"Let us fix our 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" Hebrews 12:2 (see also Hebrews 2:10) .

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