Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Take Up Our Cross: What does it mean? | Luke 9:23 | Robert Nicholson | 67218 | ||
Dear fellow believers: What does it mean to "take up our cross daily and follow Christ?" What is our cross? Jesus said in John chp. 10 " My sheep hear my voice and I know them , and they follow me" (John 10::27) What a beautiful picture of the Christian who has entered by the door which is Christ who said "I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved" (John 10:9) The characteristics of those who know him as Saviour are a) they hear his voice b) He knows them. c) They follow him What does this really mean? "They follow him?" If we follow him we will deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow him" (Luke 9:23) "we hear his voice" Thank God that by his Spirit and through his word he spoke to us when we were lost in sin and he revealled to us that "Christ died for our sins!" I challenge myself, do I hear his voice daily? Do I respond to his voice? Some have suggested that the cares of life and the trials that comes into our life are our cross. I wonder if this is what it means? The Lord Jesus tells us "for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt.5:45) In other words many things in life which are challenging are experienced by the all people, not just Christians. The imagery that Jesus is using here refers to those who would be crucified by the Romans. The soldiers would make you drag your cross to the place of death, it was a one way trip. How does this apply to Christian life in a spiritual sense and in a practical sense in our daily lives. These questions are not intended to rhetorical questions, but questions which have been challenging me. "Forbid it Lord that I should boast, Save in the cross of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing so divine, Demands my heart, my life, my all! (Isaac Watts 1674-1748) Blessings in his precious name Robert |
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2 | Take Up Our Cross: What does it mean? | Luke 9:23 | One | 67227 | ||
I once new a lady who one had a disability and she said, “This is my cross to bear.” Let me say I do agree with that type of statement. Look at the passage. Matt 16:24 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. A few notes about this passage: 1. The cross we are to bear is one we “take up.” Therefore it is not one that is thrust on us such as an illness, disability, trial etc. 2. Denying self is apart of the process. So again the before mentioned conditions do not apply. I believe this refers to our service to God. I love golf but I got to Church on Sunday instead of golfing. My daughter and I go to the hospitals to visit sick children to read to them, again this is a choice we make rather than doing other things that maybe more fun, but in the grand scheme of things less fulfilling. I hope this helps! |
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3 | Take Up Our Cross: What does it mean? | Luke 9:23 | Robert Nicholson | 67231 | ||
Dear One: Thank you for your response. In following Jesus we are exhorted "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ( 1 Thess. 5:18) Would you not say that we have to be willing to accept what God has given us which may include various trials in live? Paul writes: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."(1 Cor. 10:13) You mentioned that "we must take up our cross" and that part of this is to deny ourselves. I enjoy the thought in Romans 6:17-18 that before we were saved we were "servants to sin" and now in Christ we are freed from sin and "became servants of righteousness" I was also thinking that "when we follow him" we have to ask the question "In a spiritual sense where is he"? In Hebrews we find a similar thought "Let us go therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach" Heb.13:13 The Lord Jesus Christ as far as this world is concerned is still in a place of rejection and to identify with him we will suffer reproach for his name. When I read your last paragraph the words of Jesus came to mind "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt.6:33) May God bless you and your daughter in your work with children. Robert |
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4 | Take Up Our Cross: What does it mean? | Luke 9:23 | One | 67233 | ||
Yes we must be willing to bear up under trials and temptations but keep in mind temptation is not from God. As James says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone..." James 1:13 Again to me our cross to bear is somthing we choose to do as a work for Christ. It is a choice we make daily. To me each Christian should pray "God reveal to me how I can surve you. If I am blessed in what I do then let me be blessed to your glory and if I am to be crushed then let me be crushed to your glory." I love the question to where is God. In an indirect way I think the woman at the well asked this question. Basicaly she said you Jews worship in Jerusalem, we worship on this mountain, where is the correct place? The question is much deeper as they believe, in acient times, God's spirit dwelled in the temple. So in an indirect wat she was asking, "Where is God?" Then you have to love Jesus answer John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. In other words you don't have to look for God, God is looking for you. |
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