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Jesus said "to be my disciple", not "to stay saved". There is a difference. Salvation is purely a work of God's grace by the power of the Holy Spirit. God saves us and God keeps us saved. But being a disciple means being a follower of Christ.How do I deny myself - bear my own cross daily - and follow Jesus to stay saved?
For My Flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed (the idea is that one must continue eating and drinking even on a daily basis, which speaks of bearing the Cross daily [Lk. 9:23]).Jesus said "to be my disciple", not "to stay saved". There is a difference. Salvation is purely a work of God's grace by the power of the Holy Spirit. God saves us and God keeps us saved. But being a disciple means being a follower of Christ.
Rather than focusing on the negative aspect of crucifying or mortifying "the flesh" (the old sinful nature), focus on the positive aspects of doing what Christ did (Luke 4:18,19), and "preach" means "proclaim":
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me
[1] to preach the gospel to the poor
[2] he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
[3] to preach deliverance to the captives, and
[4] recovering of sight to the blind
[5] to set at liberty them that are bruised
[6] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
All of this will require self-denial since you will be doing God's will, not your own. Christ said that He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. So you do the same.
its a spiritual cross 5 Mortify { put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Galatians 2:20 Romans 12:1-2 Mortify is used same way as a mortician who takes care of the dead there are many more scriptures none of this is done with out the power of the Holy SpiritHow do I deny myself - bear my own cross daily - and follow Jesus to stay saved?
where does it say that ?and follow Jesus to stay saved?
Jesus said "to be my disciple", not "to stay saved". There is a difference. Salvation is purely a work of God's grace by the power of the Holy Spirit. God saves us and God keeps us saved. But being a disciple means being a follower of Christ.
That is certainly NOT what that Scripture (andother Scriptures) teach about taking up our crosses.As far as trying to do something as it concerns taking up the Cross daily, we are to do nothing.
the cross was for death for Christ his death was a sacrifice once and for all .. how many really put to death the flesh once and for all.. how many present there Bodies a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable to God . No Grace was never to be a license to sin.. but A CRUTCH so to speak if we did Romans 5:20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, the law means an inward practice of action good or evil Grace is God Riches at Christ expense..SO YES GRACE IS THERE WHEN WE NEED HELP ..thank God for his Mercy an GraceThis takes us picking up our cross and follow in the footsteps of Christ and to carry out the continued works of the Lord.
The works of any Believer is to fight the good fight of Faith. God will not accept anything else from any man or woman but faith (and praise) in His Son Jesus. The scripture says, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASE, AND LISTEN TO HIM." God never said that about any Believer. Psalm 39:5 says, "...every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah." In other words we are all wretched and vile, daily. Anything and everything that is not Faith in Christ and Him Crucified is judge as iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).That is certainly NOT what that Scripture (andother Scriptures) teach about taking up our crosses.
The metaphor of taking up the cross is similar to Christ having been made to carry His cross to Golgotha so that He would be crucified. So Christians are to crucify or mortify "the flesh" (the old Adamic sin nature) by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. That certainly does not translate into doing nothing.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Rom 8:13)
Mortify means "put to death". Which means that you are actively nailing your "flesh" to your cross, and then nailing down the coffin of that crucified old nature. Christians are exhorted to be dead to sin and alive to God. And of course all of this is "through the Spirit".
the cross was for death for Christ his death was a sacrifice once and for all .. how many really put to death the flesh once and for all.. how many present there Bodies a living sacrifice Holy and acceptable to God . No Grace was never to be a license to sin.. but A CRUTCH so to speak if we did Romans 5:20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, the law means an inward practice of action good or evil Grace is God Riches at Christ expense..SO YES GRACE IS THERE WHEN WE NEED HELP ..thank God for his Mercy an Grace
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 King James Version (KJV)
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life