Daily Affirmations - Day 7 - Carrying The Cross - What The Cross Stands For
Day 7: What the cross stands for
From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem... and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him... Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:21-23).
The Lord Jesus saw in Peter's suggestion a temptation from Satan— and He flung it away from Him. Then He turned to His disciples and said, "If any man will come after Me—let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (vs. 24)...
The vast majority of God's own people have unscriptural conceptions of what the "cross" stands for. The average Christian seems to think that the cross... is any trial or trouble... laid upon him. Whatever comes up that disturbs our peace, is unpleasing to the flesh, or irritates our temper—is looked upon as a cross.
Others understand the "cross" to refer to disagreeable duties... or to fleshly habits... They imagine that they are cross-bearing when... at the point of conscience, they abstain from things earnestly desired.
My friends, the word [cross] is never so used in the New Testament! The word "cross" is never found in the plural... nor is it ever described [as] "a" cross. It is not a cross laid upon us— but a cross which must be "taken up"!
Let me point out three things that the cross stands for:
First, the cross is the expression of the world's hatred. The world hated Christ, and its hatred was ultimately manifested by crucifying Him... And in proportion as you and I... have come out from the world and are in fellowship with Him—so will the world hate us!
Secondly, the cross stands for a life voluntarily surrendered to the will of God... The obedience of Christ should be the obedience of the Christian—voluntary, not compulsory; continuous, faithful, without any reserve, unto death. "I lay down My life... No man takes it from Me..." (John 10:17).
Jesus came here— and He pleased not Himself; no more must I. He made Himself of no reputation: so must I. He went about doing good: so should I. He came not to be ministered unto—but to minister; so should we.
[Thirdly], the cross stands for vicarious sacrifice and suffering... "[Jesus] laid down His life—and we ought to lay down our lives..." (1 John 3:16)... "For whoever will save his life—shall lose it" (Matthew 16:25). Every "Christian"... who has lived a self-centered life, considering his own comforts, his own peace of mind, his own welfare, his own advantages and benefits—that "life" is going to be lost forever.
But "whoever will lose his life for My sake," that is, whoever... has sacrificed that life, has spent it in the service of others for Christ's sake— shall find life!
Have we begun to "take up the cross" at all?... Christ says, "Whoever does not bear his cross, cannot be My disciple."
~ Arthur Pink, Cross Bearing (condensed)
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