What did Jesus mean when he said "take up your cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23)?
Let's begin with what Jesus didn't mean. Many people interpret "cross" as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, "That's my cross I have to carry." Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me."
When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.
Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus' day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.
Therefore, "Take up your cross and follow Me" means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called "dying to self." It's a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is matchless.
Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although these multitudes often followed Him as Messiah, their view of who the Messiah really was"and what He would do"was distorted. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ's own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of the shocked followers rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put to death their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His.
Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.
In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests.
Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation! How many people would respond to an altar call that went, "Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life"? The number of false converts would likely decrease! Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, "Take up your cross and follow Me."
If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:
" Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?
" Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
" Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
" Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
" Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?
In some places of the world, these consequences are reality. But notice the questions are phrased, "Are you willing?" Following Jesus doesn't necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing to take up your cross? If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice"Jesus or the comforts of this life"which will you choose?
Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Jesus followed His call of death to self ("Take up your cross and follow Me") with the gift of life in Christ: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matthew 16:25-26).
Revealers, take up your cross and follow christ... Enjoy the rest of the week... Shalom
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
THE CONCEPT OF SPIRITUALITY
Last week we were able to detect what manner of man we were and also we understood what manner of man God ultimately plan for us to be. Which is a state where we become not natural nor carnal but Spiritual. This week we shall learn what it takes to get to that state.
Genuine spirituality involves three factors.
The first, REGENERATION: No one can be spiritual in the biblical sense without having first experienced the new life that is freely given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour (2 Cor 5:17). Spirituality without regeneration is Reformation.
The second, The HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is preeminently involved in producing spirituality. This is not to say that the other Persons of the God-head do not have a part in it, nor that the believer himself has
no responsibility, nor that there are not other means of grace, but it is to affirm His major role in spirituality. The ministries of the Spirit involve teaching (John 16:12-15), guiding (Rom. 8:14),
assuring (Rom. 8:16), praying (Rom 8.26), the exercise of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7) and Warring against the flesh (Gal. 5:17). All of these depend for their full manifestation on the filling of
the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
To be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. The clue to this definition is found in Ephesians 5:18
where there is contrast and comparison between drunkenness and
Spirit-filling. It is the comparison which gives the clue, for just
as a drunken person is controlled by the liquor which he consumes, so a Spirit-filled Christian is controlled by the Spirit. As a result he will act in a manner unnatural to him-not an erratic or
abnormal manner, but one contrary to the old life. Control by the Spirit is a necessary part of spirituality.
The third factor involved in spirituality is TIME. If the Spiritual person judges or examines or discerns all things (1 Cor 2:15), this must involve time in order to gain knowledge and to acquire experience for discerning all things. The Amplified Bible elaborates on the verse in this fashion: “He can read the
meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him.” This could not be accomplished overnight; it is something Which is true only of a mature Christian.
That word maturity seems to hold the key to the concept of spirituality, for Christian maturity is the growth which the Holy Spirit produces over a period of time in the believer. To be sure, the same amount of time is not required for each individual, but some time is necessary for all. It is not the time itself which produces maturity; rather, the progress made and growth achieved are all-important.
Rate multiplied by time equals distance, so that the distance to maturity or spirituality may be covered in a shorter time if the rate of growth is accelerated. And it will only be accelerated if none of the control which ought to be given to the Holy Spirit is retained by self. Remember, the spiritual man is one who His spirit has gained the ascendancy over his intellectual processes. And his spirit has gained the l ascendancy over his body and his physical senses.
Apostle Paul encourages us in Gal 5:25
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"
#REVEALED BY: AN ENVOY
Genuine spirituality involves three factors.
The first, REGENERATION: No one can be spiritual in the biblical sense without having first experienced the new life that is freely given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour (2 Cor 5:17). Spirituality without regeneration is Reformation.
The second, The HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is preeminently involved in producing spirituality. This is not to say that the other Persons of the God-head do not have a part in it, nor that the believer himself has
no responsibility, nor that there are not other means of grace, but it is to affirm His major role in spirituality. The ministries of the Spirit involve teaching (John 16:12-15), guiding (Rom. 8:14),
assuring (Rom. 8:16), praying (Rom 8.26), the exercise of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7) and Warring against the flesh (Gal. 5:17). All of these depend for their full manifestation on the filling of
the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
To be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. The clue to this definition is found in Ephesians 5:18
where there is contrast and comparison between drunkenness and
Spirit-filling. It is the comparison which gives the clue, for just
as a drunken person is controlled by the liquor which he consumes, so a Spirit-filled Christian is controlled by the Spirit. As a result he will act in a manner unnatural to him-not an erratic or
abnormal manner, but one contrary to the old life. Control by the Spirit is a necessary part of spirituality.
The third factor involved in spirituality is TIME. If the Spiritual person judges or examines or discerns all things (1 Cor 2:15), this must involve time in order to gain knowledge and to acquire experience for discerning all things. The Amplified Bible elaborates on the verse in this fashion: “He can read the
meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him.” This could not be accomplished overnight; it is something Which is true only of a mature Christian.
That word maturity seems to hold the key to the concept of spirituality, for Christian maturity is the growth which the Holy Spirit produces over a period of time in the believer. To be sure, the same amount of time is not required for each individual, but some time is necessary for all. It is not the time itself which produces maturity; rather, the progress made and growth achieved are all-important.
Rate multiplied by time equals distance, so that the distance to maturity or spirituality may be covered in a shorter time if the rate of growth is accelerated. And it will only be accelerated if none of the control which ought to be given to the Holy Spirit is retained by self. Remember, the spiritual man is one who His spirit has gained the ascendancy over his intellectual processes. And his spirit has gained the l ascendancy over his body and his physical senses.
Apostle Paul encourages us in Gal 5:25
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"
#REVEALED BY: AN ENVOY
Enjoy God's Grace in the rest of the week. Shalom
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
WHAT MANNER OF MAN ARE YOU???
WHAT MANNER OF MAN ARE YOU?
"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." —I Corinthians 10:32
Here we have God's ethnic division of the human race: Jew, Gentile, Church of God. The Jew is ever a Jew. Gentile means the heathen world. Everyone outside of Christ who is not a Jew is a heathen, or a Gentile. The Church, the body of Christ, the new creation stands utterly alone. Paul has another division in his writings: the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man.
The natural man is one who has never yet passed out of death into life. He has never been born-again. He's never been recreated. He's never become a new creature in Christ Jesus.
The carnal man is a new creature. He has been born-again. But he's never developed or grown. It is sad but true that the carnal man may remain in this condition all his life long. He may never develop beyond the babyhood state of the new creation. He is governed by his body; by his physical senses, rather than by his spirit.
The spiritual man is one who has developed in divine things. His spirit has gained the ascendancy over his intellectual processes. And his spirit has gained the ascendancy over his body and his physical senses. God governs him through the Word. This state is the will and intension of God for us all because the was the state of the Adam when he was created before the fall of man or before he became carnal (ruled by flesh) and natural (spiritual death)
Let's look carefully at these three men to see which one we are, and what we can do about it.... And in doing this, the next article will be on the biblical concept of spirituality that is how do I become a spiritual man (if I am not) or how to be sure I am a spiritual man (if you feel you are)..
Enjoy the rest of the week.
REVEALED BY: An envoy HB
"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." —I Corinthians 10:32
Here we have God's ethnic division of the human race: Jew, Gentile, Church of God. The Jew is ever a Jew. Gentile means the heathen world. Everyone outside of Christ who is not a Jew is a heathen, or a Gentile. The Church, the body of Christ, the new creation stands utterly alone. Paul has another division in his writings: the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man.
The natural man is one who has never yet passed out of death into life. He has never been born-again. He's never been recreated. He's never become a new creature in Christ Jesus.
The carnal man is a new creature. He has been born-again. But he's never developed or grown. It is sad but true that the carnal man may remain in this condition all his life long. He may never develop beyond the babyhood state of the new creation. He is governed by his body; by his physical senses, rather than by his spirit.
The spiritual man is one who has developed in divine things. His spirit has gained the ascendancy over his intellectual processes. And his spirit has gained the ascendancy over his body and his physical senses. God governs him through the Word. This state is the will and intension of God for us all because the was the state of the Adam when he was created before the fall of man or before he became carnal (ruled by flesh) and natural (spiritual death)
Let's look carefully at these three men to see which one we are, and what we can do about it.... And in doing this, the next article will be on the biblical concept of spirituality that is how do I become a spiritual man (if I am not) or how to be sure I am a spiritual man (if you feel you are)..
Enjoy the rest of the week.
REVEALED BY: An envoy HB
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