PICKING UP THE CROSS DAILY

By Neil Anderson

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September 14
Matthew 16:24 
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him . . . take up his cross
 
The cross we are to pick up on a daily basis is not our own cross but Christ’s cross. We are closely identified with His cross, however, because we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live; Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). His cross provided forgiveness from what we have done and deliverance from what we were. We are forgiven because He died in our place; we are delivered because we died with Him. We are both justified and sanctified as a result of the cross.
 
To pick up the cross daily means to acknowledge every day that we belong to God. We have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18, 19). When we pick up the cross, we affirm that our identity is not based in our physical existence but in our relationship with God. We are identified as children of God (1 John 3:1-3) and our life is in Christ, who is our life (Colossians 3:3, 4).
 
As a result of this acknowledgment, we stop trying to do our own thing in order to live daily to please our heavenly Father. We stop trying to become something we aren’t, and we rest in the finished work of Christ, who made us something very special.
 
Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to save his [natural] life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). Those who strive to establish their identity and seek to establish purpose and meaning in their natural life will someday lose it. We can’t take it with us! We must take up our cross daily by acknowledging that life only finds meaning in Christ.
 
Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that because of the cross, I can soar in the heavenlies with You. You are my life.


Categories: FAITH FOR TODAY, INSPIRATIONAL DEVOTIONS

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8 replies

  1. The cross is a symbol of death, another point , to pick up our cross daily, means we daily consider ourselves dead to our flesh. But alive to the Spirit. Good post
    Greg

  2. You know something that’s interesting is that I thought picking up my cross meant that I literally need to pick up my own cross but I’m corrected in the opening paragraph of this blog post. I think Neil correctly points out that we are to pick up Christ’s cross which really puts things into perspective. I must die to myself so that Christ must live within me.

    Thanks for the great reminder 🙂

    • Neil is a perceptive and very good writer. That is a good point about the cross, “our” cross would do little good, picking up the things of Christ on the other hand are of immeasurable value.

      God bless
      Greg

Trackbacks

  1. Our Daily Cross | He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye
  2. PICKING UP THE CROSS DAILY | mckybarf60

Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

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