WHEN I FORGET MY CROSS…

LUKE 9:23-24: “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” NKJV

OBSERVATION: What is the key word in Jesus’ teaching on the pathway and price of discipleship? What is the one word I tend to forget as I start each day? What is the difference between walking in victory or sliding back into defeat? This word is…

DAILY!

Jesus did not teach the pathway of discipleship was to identify with the cross. Paul did not expand on this teaching and encourage us to be crucified with Christ, receive the certificate, and then hang it on the wall. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught us the key to discipleship. This key is found in one word. This word is…

DAILY!

Jesus used the most abhorred of all symbols to define the essence of discipleship. Jesus used the cross! The cross was a curse to both Jews and Greeks alike. It was the vilest of punishments for the vilest of sinners. It was not a symbol that was endeared or worn as a piece of jewelry around the neck. It was not even spoken of in public. Yet, it was the cross that Jesus pointed us to when He called us to discipleship.

Paul speaks of the cross as more than a symbol. It is the focal point of all that Jesus did for us and the place where we find our victory. Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we could be restored to life and fellowship with the Father. Yet, the cross is not just the place where Jesus died. It is the place where we are called to die to our old nature and live in the newness of the Holy Spirit.

So what happens when I forget to pick up my cross?

I do not lose my salvation when I leave my cross in the corner. Yet, I do forfeit the key to my victory in life. When I forget my cross it is the first step in beginning to live my life in the power of my old nature. The old nature is a funny thing. It never goes away until the day we take our last breath. And, it never gets any better while we are here on this earth. 

This is why Jesus calls us to the cross!

Paul learned about the futility of self-reliance. In Romans 7 he speaks of his powerlessness to overcome the works of the flesh. The only victory we have is through Jesus Christ. Our old nature will try to rise up every day. Our call is to pick up our cross DAILY and follow Jesus. When we pick up our cross we agree with Jesus that we have died to our old way of life and we begin to walk after the Holy Spirit in the power of His grace. This is not something we do once. This is something we must do…

DAILY!

“In the same way you are to think of yourselves as dead, so far as sin is concerned, but living in fellowship with God through Christ Jesus. Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self. Nor must you surrender any part of yourselves to sin to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God (DAILY), as those who have been brought from death to life, and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under law but under God’s grace.” (Rom 6:11-14)

Paul calls us to live, breathe, and see our lives through the cross of Jesus Christ. It reminds us of His victory and our need. It keeps our focus on our only source of power and victory for life. It crucifies the old man anew and the world and its influences. It is the door to walking and living in the power of the Holy Spirit and keeping the old man buried in the grave. It is something that we must remember to pick up…

DAILY!

When I forget to pick up my cross I am one step away from tripping and falling. I am never too mature, too seasoned, or too learned to escape the pull of my old nature. The old man is dead in Christ but he needs to remain in the grave. The cross is the power of both my death and my resurrection. As I live through the cross I die daily to myself and rise up in newness of life in Jesus Christ my Lord.

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.” (Gal 6:14-15)

There are times when I have become so hurried in life that I have left my cross in the corner. I entered the day without dying to myself. I didn’t remember my death to sin and my need to present everything in my life to the Lord Jesus Christ anew. As I rushed through the day I found someone tagging along with me. It was my old nature just waiting for the opportunity to remind me of my weakness and failures. The cross is not just a symbol of my faith – it is the essential key to my daily victory in Christ. 

I need to pick up my cross…DAILY!

Lord, forgive me for the times that I have left my cross behind. You died on the cross so that I could daily die to myself and live. I have been crucified with you and I live in Your power as I DAILY pick up my cross, deny myself, and follow You! Help me to remember this truth this morning and to begin my life this way…

DAILY!

In Jesus’ Name!