Crossbearing

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 NASB)

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. (Luke 14:26-27, 33 NASB)

Cross bearing is a choice and it is a daily choice. In the early days of the church many gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. Picture a man with a cross beam across his back, both hands and arms lashed to the beam. He is on a one-way trip to the gallows. He is not coming back. He cannot scratch his nose. He cannot reach his wallet. He cannot grasp anything in his hands. He can do nothing for himself. He is being led to death.

Jesus says that if we are going to follow Him we must first of all deny ourselves. That means we must come to the end of ourselves. Our entire life revolves around His life. Beloved, if we are not careful we can come to the place that we think that everything should revolve around us. My life, my church, my way and my satisfaction rather than His life, His church, His way and His satisfaction. Then we take up our cross DAILY and follow Him. And by the way we don't choose where He leads, we follow even to death.

Beloved, crossbearing may just lead to that in the coming days. Real discipleship calls for sacrifice for HIs name's sake. Crossbearing is a daily choice.

Is there something (or someone) that is keeping you from undying commitment to Jesus Christ? Jesus says if that is the case you can't be My disciple, because if something or someone means more to you than I do you can't be my disciple.

Here is the question. Do I love my life more than I love Jesus?