Take Up Your Cross Daily

I think I see what you are saying Esther. I aggree. We are to take up his cross and follow him. What is his cross?
I like the way the amplified bible puts it and I like Marks version best.
Mark 10:21 And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and He said to him, You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me [[a]walking the same road that I walk].

I believe this is not telling us just to press on through our problems. It is telling us to follow Jesus's example.
Lets look at why he went to the cross.

1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission

So we know that he came into the world to save sinners and going to the cross and shedding his blood is how he did it.

How does this relate to us carring the cross? We know that he is the perfect sacrifice and that shedding our blood would profit nothing. So the only thing we can do is the part of saving sinners.

James 5:20
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

I believe this is how we pick up the cross and follow him. We help accomplish what he started on calvary. Just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Esther

But what do you think the cross is?

His cross for His Kingdom OR as many have taught your weakness in an area.

The cross is an instrument of death. It is the means by which we execute (put to death) our sinful nature (flesh).

[Esther]

You all are making some very good comments.

What was the work of the cross?

What was the purpose?

I like the way chan put it. Think about it this way. It was never Jesus's cross to carry. It was mine and yours and everyones. So could picking up your cross mean. That now that youve decided to follow Jesus that you will except your responsiblity for your sins. He shed the blood for the remissions but we must except the responsibilty of living a sacraficial life for his name sake. I really like where this thread is heading.

[OneAccord]

Originally Posted by Esther

Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

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.


Mark 10:21 mentions take up "the" cross. All the rest says "his" cross. Only one says Daily.

What is the cross to take up?

Is it your burden or God's?

I have heard it said many times we have our "own" cross to bear.

But notice He first said DENY HIMSELF. You can't pick up the cross unless you deny yourself.

So is the cross you bear the cross of the Kingdom?

Deny yourself and take up His cross daily, will that work? Is that it?

Very good questions. I studied on this some a few days ago and was struck by the powerful words Jesus spoke when He used the term "take up the/his cross". At the time this was spoken, Israel was under Roman rule. It was a Roman law that called for death by crucifixtion. As was the case with Jesus, the condemned was force to carry their crosses to the place where the sentence was carried out. The Jews knew very well what it meant to "carry the cross". It meant someone was going to die. And Jesus used this very powerful image to convey the thought that if we decide to follow Him, first, we must deny our flesh. To follow Him, we must be willing to separate ourselves from worldly and fleshly desires. And, we must die to the flesh. And it goes further. Just as He was willing to carry His cross and ultimately die, we too, must come to the place where we would be willing to die for Him. And many of His followers did die for Him. Peter, James, Paul, etc. all gave their lives for the cause of Christ. And Paul said he was crucified with Christ. He said he died daily...denying the flesh, denying the natural in order for the spiritual to live and grow within Him. The cross we carry is our decision to follow the Lord, to die out to the flesh, and to be willing to lay our lives down for the Gospel.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

Very good questions. I studied on this some a few days ago and was struck by the powerful words Jesus spoke when He used the term "take up the/his cross". At the time this was spoken, Israel was under Roman rule. It was a Roman law that called for death by crucifixtion. As was the case with Jesus, the condemned was force to carry their crosses to the place where the sentence was carried out. The Jews knew very well what it meant to "carry the cross". It meant someone was going to die. And Jesus used this very powerful image to convey the thought that if we decide to follow Him, first, we must deny our flesh. To follow Him, we must be willing to separate ourselves from worldly and fleshly desires. And, we must die to the flesh. And it goes further. Just as He was willing to carry His cross and ultimately die, we too, must come to the place where we would be willing to die for Him. And many of His followers did die for Him. Peter, James, Paul, etc. all gave their lives for the cause of Christ. And Paul said he was crucified with Christ. He said he died daily...denying the flesh, denying the natural in order for the spiritual to live and grow within Him. The cross we carry is our decision to follow the Lord, to die out to the flesh, and to be willing to lay our lives down for the Gospel.

You have some good thoughts here.

It is easy to say we would die for the gospel when we are not facing death in the face.

I pray IF it ever comes to that that we will be able to stand.

But those that bend to peer pressure now, how will they be able to stand and give their lives for Him?

Just something to think about.

[OneAccord]

"

[Esther]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

"

Huh?

[Esther]

Originally Posted by slave4him

I like the way chan put it. Think about it this way. It was never Jesus's cross to carry. It was mine and yours and everyones. So could picking up your cross mean. That now that youve decided to follow Jesus that you will except your responsiblity for your sins. He shed the blood for the remissions but we must except the responsibilty of living a sacraficial life for his name sake. I really like where this thread is heading.

When you say accept your responsiblility for your sins, what do you mean?

Originally Posted by Esther

When you say accept your responsiblility for your sins, what do you mean?

I mean that even though we have been forgiven we should try to make up for what we have done by doing the opposite. I believe that was Pauls motivation. He called himself chief of sinners. He constantly lived a sacraficial life in order to help save others. I feel if we have been forgiven much we should forgive much. Jesus whom new no sin took sin on himself. How much more us whom have known sin and been forgiven take up the cross (burdens of others) and do as he done. Does that make sense lol.