March 29th, 2012 - The Cross: We Must Bear Ours and Follow Jesus
How important it is to search the Holy Scriptures and understand how the cross should affect our lives as we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Luke 14:27
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
The desire of our hearts is to follow Jesus and be His disciples, but with that we must bear our cross. This is the suffering and the burdens of leaving the things of this world behind without looking back and regretting it. These trials are the test of our faith and endurance.
1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Recieving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Ultimately, Jesus willingly bore the weight of the cross pressing him to the ground, which was the wrath of God for our sins. Now we must bear our cross, which is to die to this world and all its expectations, lose all our righteousness, so that we can follow Jesus and Jesus alone.