If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow me.--Jesus (Luke 9:23)
Have I entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ until
all that is left is the life of Christ in my flesh and blood?--Oswald Chambers
Let’s not be confused here. The moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our
Savior we were justified and our guilt was gone once for all. That is absolute. But if we want to know anything of reality in the Christian life, anything of true spirituality, we must “take up our cross daily.” The cross of Christ is to be a reality to me not only once for all at my conversion, but all through my life as a Christian.—Francis Schaeffer
Dragging a cross through Jerusalem meant one thing and one thing only--the
one "taking it up" was headed for a hideously savage death. A crucifixion was brutal, bloody, and outrageously violent. It left no survivors. The one crucified was thoroughly dead when pried off the cross. To "take up my cross daily" means that I consider myself completely, totally, and uncompromisingly dead to myself, others, and everything in my life. As a Christian, the life I am now called to live is Christ living through me. When I am faced with a decision, I say, "Dead men don't make decisions. Christ in me, show me what to do." When I am tempted, I say, "Dead men don't get tempted. Christ in me, you deal with this temptation." We do this moment-by-moment-by-moment-by-moment. How? By reaching out our empty hands of faith to God, and then believing He will live through us just as we believed He would save us.--Chip Kirk
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.
And the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me.--Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:20)
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