Taking Up Our Cross Daily

[Christsfreeservant]

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.’” (Luke 9:23-26 ESV)​

This is the gospel of salvation that Jesus Christ and his NT apostles taught. But it is not what is commonly being taught today, at least not here in America. For this message has now largely been altered or not even referred to at all. For it has largely been obliterated and replaced with a message intended to tickle itching ears and to not offend the ungodly, and to be friendlier and more acceptable to the world and to human flesh. And this is deliberate, this demise of the truth in order to now replace truth with lies.

And this has been orchestrated at high levels, because this is what is being passed down from those in high up positions to those beneath them who are then passing a “new gospel” and the destruction of the old gospel down to their people. And this is widespread across the USA, and perhaps in other nations, as well. For this isn’t just about replacing the old gospel with a new gospel, but it is definitely about destroying the gospel that Jesus taught and that the NT apostles taught so that they can replace it with something new.

And since I am a teacher of the truth of what Jesus taught, as best as I understand it, by the grace of God, I do get opposed on a somewhat consistent basis when I teach what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught in contrast to what so many are teaching and are accepting today as “the gospel,” but which is just a replacement for the old gospel. For so many today are not teaching that we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord or that we will not inherit eternal life with God.

Even if they do teach true repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to our Lord, the way those are often being taught today are in a way in which they make them more optional, i.e. recommended, but not required for salvation from sin, and not required for eternal life with God. And others teach that we do not have to turn away from our sins and that we do not have to obey our Lord’s commands, for they call that “works salvation.” They say all that is required is “faith,” which is not usually biblically defined.

Therefore, the “new gospel” which is replacing the “old gospel” does not require biblical repentance (death to sin) nor walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, as required by God for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. They do not require that we forsake our former lives of living in sin and that sin no longer be our practice. For they teach God’s grace as merely forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life with God based on a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ once in our lives.

But Jesus Christ said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny himself, not continue to live for self and in sin. And he said that we are to take up our cross daily. And when Jesus took up his cross it was to put our sins to death with him. So if we take up our cross daily it means that daily we are putting our sins to death with Christ, that we are dying daily to sin and to self so that we can now live for God and for his righteousness, in the power, strength, and wisdom of God, by the grace of God.

And then we are to follow Jesus Christ in obedience and in surrender of our lives and our wills over to the will of God for our lives. As his followers, our lives no longer belong to ourselves, but they belong to God, and he is now to be Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and we are to serve him with our lives in doing whatever it is that he has called us to do. For we are now his possession and we no longer have mastery over our own lives. He is now Lord of our lives and he is to be the one directing our lives, not us.

But if we should choose to ignore his teachings and to go our own way, instead, and so we choose to hold on to (to save) our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if for his sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living – all in his power, strength, and wisdom, by the grace of God – then we will not lose our lives for eternity but we will have eternal life with God. For what does it profit to gain the world but to lose or forfeit oneself?

Then, lastly, Jesus stated (in these verses) that if we are ashamed of him and of his words, that he will be ashamed of us when he returns to judge and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. For, even though many make verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ, not many truly know God/Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives, for they do not obey him. And so they will hear him say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23; cf. 1 John 2:3-6)

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

 

[fhansen]

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.’” (Luke 9:23-26 ESV)​

This is the gospel of salvation that Jesus Christ and his NT apostles taught. But it is not what is commonly being taught today, at least not here in America. For this message has now largely been altered or not even referred to at all. For it has largely been obliterated and replaced with a message intended to tickle itching ears and to not offend the ungodly, and to be friendlier and more acceptable to the world and to human flesh. And this is deliberate, this demise of the truth in order to now replace truth with lies.

And this has been orchestrated at high levels, because this is what is being passed down from those in high up positions to those beneath them who are then passing a “new gospel” and the destruction of the old gospel down to their people. And this is widespread across the USA, and perhaps in other nations, as well. For this isn’t just about replacing the old gospel with a new gospel, but it is definitely about destroying the gospel that Jesus taught and that the NT apostles taught so that they can replace it with something new.

And since I am a teacher of the truth of what Jesus taught, as best as I understand it, by the grace of God, I do get opposed on a somewhat consistent basis when I teach what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught in contrast to what so many are teaching and are accepting today as “the gospel,” but which is just a replacement for the old gospel. For so many today are not teaching that we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord or that we will not inherit eternal life with God.

Even if they do teach true repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to our Lord, the way those are often being taught today are in a way in which they make them more optional, i.e. recommended, but not required for salvation from sin, and not required for eternal life with God. And others teach that we do not have to turn away from our sins and that we do not have to obey our Lord’s commands, for they call that “works salvation.” They say all that is required is “faith,” which is not usually biblically defined.

Therefore, the “new gospel” which is replacing the “old gospel” does not require biblical repentance (death to sin) nor walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, as required by God for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. They do not require that we forsake our former lives of living in sin and that sin no longer be our practice. For they teach God’s grace as merely forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life with God based on a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ once in our lives.

But Jesus Christ said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny himself, not continue to live for self and in sin. And he said that we are to take up our cross daily. And when Jesus took up his cross it was to put our sins to death with him. So if we take up our cross daily it means that daily we are putting our sins to death with Christ, that we are dying daily to sin and to self so that we can now live for God and for his righteousness, in the power, strength, and wisdom of God, by the grace of God.

And then we are to follow Jesus Christ in obedience and in surrender of our lives and our wills over to the will of God for our lives. As his followers, our lives no longer belong to ourselves, but they belong to God, and he is now to be Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and we are to serve him with our lives in doing whatever it is that he has called us to do. For we are now his possession and we no longer have mastery over our own lives. He is now Lord of our lives and he is to be the one directing our lives, not us.

But if we should choose to ignore his teachings and to go our own way, instead, and so we choose to hold on to (to save) our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if for his sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and we follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living – all in his power, strength, and wisdom, by the grace of God – then we will not lose our lives for eternity but we will have eternal life with God. For what does it profit to gain the world but to lose or forfeit oneself?

Then, lastly, Jesus stated (in these verses) that if we are ashamed of him and of his words, that he will be ashamed of us when he returns to judge and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. For, even though many make verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ, not many truly know God/Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives, for they do not obey him. And so they will hear him say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23; cf. 1 John 2:3-6)

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

This is true, and, incidentally, is essentially the gospel taught by the ancient churches and ECFs. I also teach it, and am often opposed for to doing so.

The basis of this freedom from the obligation for man to be and live righteously has its origins dating back some 5 centuries ago, although antinomianism or related errors have reared their heads in one form or another since the beginning of our faith.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

This is true, and, incidentally, is essentially the gospel taught by the ancient churches and ECFs. I also teach it, and am often opposed for to doing so.

The basis of this freedom from the obligation for man to be and live righteously has its origins dating back some 5 centuries ago, although antinomianism or related errors have reared their heads in one form or another since the beginning of our faith.

Thank you for reading and for responding and for sharing your thoughts on this subject. God bless.