Take up your cross

[bigheavyq]

When the Lord said to take up our cross and follow him, what does that mean?
It seems works oriented, so how does that fit with living a life under grace?
Doesn't show calvinism to be false?

I know that it doesn't but I get this argument from my arminian brothers.

 

[RamistThomist]

Originally posted by bigheavyq
When the Lord said to take up our cross and follow him, what does that mean?

Die--you have the rest of your life to finish it.

 

[turmeric]

Follow Christ whatever the cost - which you can only do if God enables you. It is not in fallen human nature to do this and it reflects God's work within you to be able to do it.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Draught Horse

Originally posted by bigheavyq
When the Lord said to take up our cross and follow him, what does that mean?

Die--you have the rest of your life to finish it.

This is one of the most succinct and profound expositions of that verse that I have ever seen.

I think it is interesting that our Lord used the term 'cross' before his death at Calvary. I also note that he said we are to take up our cross daily. In saving our life, and avoiding suffering for his name's sake, we will lose our life; in enduring the cross as Jesus did, and despising its shame (Heb. 12.2), we will gain the whole world (Matt. 16.26). I think of the martyrs in Hebrews 12, as well as those of the early Church who were torn apart by lions, and those who died at the stake during the Reformation while singing the Psalms, and so many more. And I think of those who live long lives and yet testify to the grace of God in difficult situations every day. Whether we live or die, let it be Christ who lives in us and to him be the glory!

 

[JohnV]

I agree with Meg. I think it means that I have to be ready to deal with the costs of being a follower of Christ. And these costs are very well described by the word "cross". While sinners remain there will be opposition to holiness and godliness in our personal life. The Heidelberg Catechism says that the three enemies that we face are sin, the devil, and our own flesh. So we have to work to subdue our own sin, and to resist the effects of sin and the devil. And, to complicate things (actually, it makes it simpler), we fight our own sin when we "resist not evil" by turning the other cheek, and at the same time take the fangs out of sin and the devil. We can "consider it all joy" when we are faced with trials for the sake of godliness in faith and life, and bear a cross daily, because we can see godly gain in our own personal life as well as the godly fruit that comes from this growth in faith.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

There's a great story about a missionary family to the South Pacific. As they were preparing to disembark among the cannibals, the ship's captain expostulated with them, saying, "If you remain here you will most certainly die!" Replied the missionary, "We died before we left home."