CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
People sometimes will use the expression,
"We all have our r cross to
bear." But our cross has no relation to the difficulties we encounter in life. The cross to bear, so to speak, is the same
for everyone: it is dying to self.
Dying to self
means resisting the temptation to do what everyone else is doing when you know it is wrong.
Dying to self means forgiving
instead of harbouring a grudge. Dying to self means putting down the remote control and picking
up the Bible. Dying to self means
praying when you would rather be sleeping. Dying to self means swallowing your pride and telling
someone about Jesus Christ. Dying to self means doing what God wants you to do
rather than doing what you want to do.
Jesus said,
"Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33).
That does not mean you must take a vow of poverty and give every possession
away to be a disciple of Jesus.
"Forsake all" literally could be translated, "Surrender your claim to, say goodbye to." This means that true disciples of
Jesus are not possessed by their possessions.
When you die to yourself and take up the cross, you will
experience joy and an overflowing life. If
you want to be a disciple, then you must
love God more than anyone or anything else. You must deny yourself. And you must take up the cross and
follow Jesus.
Prayer: Ask
the Lord to purge you of selfishness
and give you a passion for His Kingdom.
Scriptural Reading: Galatians 2:11-21
