- Jun 13, 2015
- 4,191
- 2,818
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
Bearing our cross refers to suffering persecution. Persecution comes in minor and major forms. In minor forms we see it in the work place as hostility is brought to us unjustly because our lives in Christ cause others to feel convicted. In a major form it is various degree of martyrdom.Hello, I'm a Catholic (As my username implies) and I thought like to discuss my biggest issue with Protestantism, it's the phrase "Jesus suffered and died on the cross so that we don't have to suffer."
But Our Lord said:
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." -Matthew 16:24 DRV
What's more Saint Paul says:
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church" -Colossians 1:24 DRV
And:
"I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service." -Romans 12:1 DRV This refers specifically to redemptive (AKA "Offering it up") in which we unite our own little sufferings with Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, that He may mediate between The Father and us.
We Catholics, except for people who reached a really high degree of holiness, do not actively seek suffering, but when it arises, we take it as an opportunity to unite with Our Lord on the cross. The belief that "Christ suffered so that we don't have to," quite frankly means that Protestants don't preach Christ crucified as Saint Paul commands us to, The Lord's sacrifice on the cross becomes just something that happened almost 2000 years ago, not something that one's entire life revolves around.
So tell me Protestants how is the cross relevant for you? And how do you sense out of suffering? What do you do when suffering arises?
Self denial is the foundation of Christian discipleship. Without it there is no way the love of God can flow through us to others. Self denial is not suffering, unless one considers the rejection of the flesh as suffering, but that is not a biblical interpretation.
Turning the other cheek might be thought of as a form of suffering, but I believe Jesus meant walk away from the violence without fighting back.
I don't believe, however, that there is any pleasure in God in our deliberately causing ourselves suffering as a means to get closer to God.
Upvote
0