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NASB | Luke 9:23 ¶ And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 9:23 ¶ And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. |
Bible Question (short): Take Up Our Cross: What does it mean? |
Question (full): 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 |