His Cross or my Cross ?

Some things that I have been thinking,

All the disciples without exception proved themselves unworthy. They all choose to allow Jesus to walk the Old Calvary Road by Himself, They all where offended by Him and they all scattered. That day they all Failed to take up their cross and follow Jesus to Golgotha.

The motivation to earn worthiness by taking up their cross and following Jesus was not and is not strong enough to overcome certain things.

Cain tried to appease Gods favor by the sweat of his brow and callus of hand, and it did nothing for him other than bring condemnation and Jealousy.

On the other hand Abel did nothing other than to almost effortlessly offer back to God, Gods own provision for him of the unspotted Lamb. Abel did this not from a heart to appease, but instead from a heart of gratitude.

The condemned and Jealous heart of Cain killed his brother Abel.

When our hearts are trying to earn worthiness by effort we are always critical and comparring ourselves to others, hating others instead of Laying down our lives for others

After Jesus laid down his life for us: We than see the disciples than being correctly motivated and empowered from a heart of Agape and Gratitude laying down their lives for the brethren.
They than where empowered correctly to deny themselves take up their cross and follow Him.

Incidentally even I meditated yesterday on the taking up cross. Jesus spoke these verse in Matthew 16-24.

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up HIS cross and follow Me.

This verse follows the conversation that he had with Peter immediately after he spoke about his death and sufferings.

22- Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

So taking up the cross is to setup our mind on God's interest instead of our self interest, if this is not there no matter how much empowerment we dream about it will never become a reality. Only a broken man will declare that he cannot carry the cross by himself and seek for God's grace.

Hi Sree

Sree wrote : ///Incidentally even I meditated yesterday on the taking up cross. Jesus spoke these verse in Matthew 16-24.///

Sree wrote : ///This verse follows the conversation that he had with Peter immediately after he spoke about his death and sufferings///

Yes, understanding the context is vital.

Jesus is fixing to walk the old Calvary road to Golgotha, He is prompting them to join Him in His death and sufferings to prove there worthiness, of which they all failed, as what we also will, if we believe that we can earn our worthiness.

Sree wrote : ///So taking up the cross is to setup our mind on God's interest instead of our self interest, if this is not there no matter how much empowerment we dream about it will never become a reality. Only a broken man will declare that he cannot carry the cross by himself and seek for God's grace.///

Somethings that I have been thinking :

Even if we have the power so that we can "speak with the tongues of men and of angels" and have the power that we have the "gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge" and have the faith to move mountains and even though we are willing to deny ourself and our ownself interest so that we are willing to bestow our goods to feed the poor, and willing to endure persecution to the point that we are willing to give our body to be burned.
If we do so for the purpose to earn our worthiness than we will not be doing it from the correct heart and it will profiteth us nothing.

Agape has to come first, It has to be our motivation, and it does not come from self denial though it does manifest itsself by denial of self.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Some things that I have been thinking

"what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

Sometimes we read over passages like the above passage and we are eager to read the response believing that the response is the Gospel message.

There are two men that asked the above question : the rich young ruler, and the tempting lawyer.

The question that they are asking is what they can do to earn eternal life ?

It is interesting that they use the word inherit (klhronomevw).
An inheritance is not earned, it is an undeserved gift recieved not by doing, but by being an heir.

Imagine a stranger coming and asking you : what they could do to earn an inheritance from you ?,

How would you respond ?

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ

If they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect

being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

somemore thoughts

Jesus Said :
"But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy, and not sacrifice"

When the question "what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" is asked, the response is completely different than when the question of "Have mercy on me" is asked.

It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Mercy can never be attained by striving to be worthy of it, it can only be accepted by the unworthy.

When we believe that we are justified or sanctified by our will power or self effort we find ourselves thinking that we are worthy because we are not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, etc. We start thinking that our deep devotional and sacrificial life somehow attributes to Gods Grace.
Instead of being thankful to God for is undeserving mercy, We become thankful that we are not "as other men are"

God justifies and sanctifies us when we trully seek His Mercy, not when we try to earn by willpower and self effort our justification or sanctification.

I don't know if it just me but I cant comprehend some one who is born of god striving to be justified by anything

justified freely by grace ,that is in the redemption of Jesus Christ ,,paul said

I cant understand someone who know what the grace of god is , by experience ,,would think that he can earn to keep it ,,,,

unfathomable I think it is the mark of the saved verses the lost ,,,or even the mark of one who is being convicted of sin and judgment wile still being lost

Hi brothagary,

I believe that it is very possable to have begun in the Spirit, and become bewitched into believing that we become made perfect by the flesh

hi proudpappa ,,,we obviously interpret the letter to the Galatians differently ,,as well as the first letter of john

brother if I may ask gently

how do you interprate

he who is born of god keeps him self and the evil one doesn not touch him

he who is born of god does not sin for ,his seed remainth in him
and he cannot sin

it doesn't matter if you don't tell me ,,I just have never herd many people give exposition of verses like that ,,and i am curious

and for me in my experience of being broken before the thrown of god and noeing that I deserve hell and only the grace and merits of jesus is what saves me ,,,I just find it imposable to even imagine that after all that destruction and beating of my flesh that the spirit did and still does ,that I might some how think to gain merits by works ,its I cant even think of a strong enough word do describe the ( )

blessings to you