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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.
Jesus says this several times but what does it really mean? Does it mean different things to different people at even different times? Thoughts?
Hi CWB

You've quoted Mark 8:34
This reminds me of Mathew 5:11-12

There are 3 parts to what Jesus said in Mark 8:34

First of all, He called the people unto Him. If you don't hear Jesus telling you to do something, you will not be able to do it.

1. "He must deny himself"
To me this means that I must think of the other person before I think of myself. It means to do what is good for that other person. When possible, of course.

2. "He must take up his cross"
A cross is not a pleasant thing to pick up. A cross means that there is suffering. He wants us to pick it up, even though it may cause suffering.

3. "And follow Me"
Jesus is Lord. So we must follow Him.
Where will He lead us? Only to green pastures? No.
We live here and our life will not always be easy. But we're to follow Him anyway and trust that whatever happens to us is in God's will. Just like Jesus prayed in the Garden.

I remember learning when I was a new Christian that when we do something in service --- it could be anything, driving our kids to school, making dinner, caring for a sick person, anything --- we should not think we're doing it for the person because some things will become difficult to do.

We should always consider that we are doing it for God and in this way everything will seem easier for us.

It seems to me that when we think of others, we find more satisfaction in living in the Kingdom and what we do seems to turn out better.

So even when others think we're wrong (Mathew 5:11) we should still do what we believe is from God. The secular man gives us wrong advice.
 
This was posted before, the migration took it..


When you are forgotten, rejected and purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt wiht the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy and you count it worthy to suffer for Christ -- That is dying to self!

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise i your heart of even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence -- That is dying to self!

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, and annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility and endure it as Jesus did-- That is dying to self!

When you are content with any food, any offering , any raiment, any climate, any society, any fallacy, any interruption by the will of God -- That is dying to self!

When you never care to be referred to yourself in conversation or record your own good works, or if after commendation when you can truly love to be unknown---That is dying to self !

When you can see your brother prosper, and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy or questions God while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances --- that is dying to self !

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart -- that is dying to self!
You've given me a higher standard to aspire. Thank you
 
Along the thoughts of these posts, is the Audio book "Absolute Surrender" by Andrew Murray. Dying, the Lord helping us extend our roots deeply into Christ, sprouting His resurrected life from the death of ourselves.
Colossians 2:7
Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.
 
I am glad to see you have satisfied yourself with how you see it but that does not mean everyone sees it the same way; guess that is why I am making a 'mountain' out of it to see what other people think He meant.
ok suppose you explain take up your cross? have you had yourself crucified ? have you picked up a cross somewhere in the same size as the one Christ carried? did you carry it the distance Christ Did? was you beaten and horse whipped like Christ was before you took up your cross? if so your labor was in vain....our cross is spiritual his was physical and spiritual. what do you think he means by denying our self? the cross is for what purpose ? DEATH Paul wrote to Mortify the flesh Colossians 3:5 deny our self . Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God. . your more than welcome to reject this but answer the above questions .then read and study compare commentaries or use a good study Bible you will find my replies to be fairly close . i will not say i am %100 correct. due to the fact i am not Christ . but i will stand by what i posted
 
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All the same ones we have:

"15For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 5:15 NASB bold mine, italics in original)

In the face of the temptation to retaliate with evil to guard his own life and well being, Jesus bore the cross instead:

"23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23 NASB)

And He did that as an example for us to follow:

"Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH" (1 Peter 2:21-22 NASB bold mine, capitals in original)

And we walk in that example for the same reason He did: To bear the sins of others so they might be healed (1 Peter 2:24 NASB). That is the ministry of suffering we have been called to. Our crosses of suffering may not be the same, but one thing's for sure, we bear those crosses on behalf of other people in the hope they may find, through our forgiveness, the forgiveness we ourselves have found in the suffering of Christ on his cross.

"31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you (put to death-- see Colossians 3:5 NIV), along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31-32 NASB bold, underline, and parenthesis mine)

That's what the cross bearing ministry of reconciliation looks like for us not so terribly gifted, John Dough Christians. But what a ministry that is. What a privilege that is to share in the sufferings of Christ.
amen !
 
.....our cross is spiritual......
Denying self requires us to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing the will of God.
Are there not physical things that interfere with our walk with Christ?....and if given up do they not also become a cross?......or do you believe it is spiritual things only that become our cross?......as you imply.
 
Are there not physical things that interfere with our walk with Christ?....and if given up do they not also become a cross?......or do you believe it is spiritual things only that become our cross?......as you imply.
the physical become spiritual if we do it simply of our self it is of no avail but yes it is physical but backed by the spirit.. but to crucify our self physically would only accomplish pain..
 
the physical become spiritual if we do it simply of our self it is of no avail but yes it is physical but backed by the spirit.. but to crucify our self physically would only accomplish pain..
I am not quite sure what you are saying here....could you rephrase it?
 
the physical become spiritual if we do it simply of our self it is of no avail but yes it is physical but backed by the spirit.. but to crucify our self physically would only accomplish pain..
Ezra.
I think you and civilwarbuff are not understanding each other.

If I help my daughter to paint, out of necessity and even though I don't feel like it,
And I end up very tired, is that not a physical "cross"?
 
Ezra.
I think you and civilwarbuff are not understanding each other.

If I help my daughter to paint, out of necessity and even though I don't feel like it,
And I end up very tired, is that not a physical "cross"?
That is what I am trying to clear up; my POV says a 'cross' can be either physical or spiritual. From the last post ezra made I am not quite sure of his position but am inclined to understand that he believes it is spiritural which is why I asked him to restate his post just to clarify.
 
That is what I am trying to clear up; my POV says a 'cross' can be either physical or spiritual. From the last post ezra made I am not quite sure of his position but am inclined to understand that he believes it is spiritural which is why I asked him to restate his post just to clarify.
It's definitely spiritual and also emotional and also physical.
One can deny himself in all these ways in order to benefit another person.
When we do something to benefit another person we are picking up our cross.
And crosses come in all sizes...

Maybe ezra could agree with this.
 
when i say spiritual i am talking about
1 Corinthians 2


9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
being born again our actions are physical but the new birth is spiritual and yes absolutely physical things that interfere with our walk with Christ?.. this is walking in the flesh Paul wrote in Galatians to walk in the spirit. not walking in the spirit is our down fall
 
It's definitely spiritual and also emotional and also physical.
One can deny himself in all these ways in order to benefit another person.
When we do something to benefit another person we are picking up our cross.
And crosses come in all sizes...

Maybe ezra could agree with this.
lol i am rotten at writing and it coming out right . but yes i agree paul wrote we are made up in 3 components body soul spirit


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l151/ezra_021/CircleSpiritSoulandBody.jpg
 
when i say spiritual i am talking about
1 Corinthians 2


9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
being born again our actions are physical but the new birth is spiritual and yes absolutely physical things that interfere with our walk with Christ?.. this is walking in the flesh Paul wrote in Galatians to walk in the spirit. not walking in the spirit is our down fall

Well, this still does not answer my request from above, as a matter of fact it makes even less sense than what I asked to have clarified but I don't believe I am going to get a better answer so I will quit at this point.
 
I guess what he's trying to say is the thing that gets crucified is spiritual, not physical.
I agree in that what we have to put to death in our physical circumstances of life are things like anger, retaliation, sarcasm, rage, etc.
But certainly, the circumstances that prompt us to crucify the desires of the flesh are very physical.
I have a hard time when I'm tired. I have to purposely not be impatient and grumbly, and irritable (to some extent) when I'm tired. The 'flesh' that I crucify is not my body, but the deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21 NASB).
 
Well, this still does not answer my request from above, as a matter of fact it makes even less sense than what I asked to have clarified but I don't believe I am going to get a better answer so I will quit at this point.
how would you interrupt Galatians 2:20 .. do you think crucifying our physical flesh would accomplish any thing . i am sorry not sure at this point you will get your answer our cross is to deny our self. Romans 12 a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable . jethro has a great explanation. i am through do you want the correct answer or what you want ?
 
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