OUR DAILY CROSS
(mr 02/01/19)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Luke 9:23-24 KJV: And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Here the Lord Jesus instructs ALL who want to come after HIM to deny themselves and DAILY TAKE UP THEIR CROSS and follow or imitate Him.
What then is this daily cross we must take up to imitate Him?
The daily cross is the DAILY HABIT of using the power of the Holy Spirit through praying in tongues and groanings (travail) to CRUCIFY the sin-nature and the lusts thereof in our souls (wills, minds and emotions) and bodies as shown in:
Romans 8:10-13 KJV: And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:13 AMP: For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.
To do this, we must IMITATE the DAILY habits of the Lord Jesus:
Firstly of getting up early to pray: fourth watch praying (the goodmorning Jesus online platform is an excellent forum that you can join to start practicing this)
Secondly, to pray with all kinds of prayer in the Spirit and travail like the Lord Jesus did:
Hebrews 5:7 KJV: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Ephesians 6:18 KJV: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
This is OUR DAILY CROSS: we ALL have this SAME CROSS.
We must habitually take up this daily cross, if we are to gain the higher life of inheriting the power of the Spirit without measure in this lifetime:
1John 4:16 KJV: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Ephesians 4:13-15 KJV: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Now, if we don’t grow up spiritually like this, by taking up our daily cross, we will still be saved (though scarcely as by fire) and suffer the loss of this higher life of the perfection and fulness of Christ in this lifetime manifesting the reward of the power of the Spirit without measure:
1Corinthians 3:10-15 KJV: According to the grace of God, which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (14) If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
So we should START practicing taking up our daily cross as shown in
Ephesians 6:12-18 KJV: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Romans 8:26-29 NIV: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (28) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
So we take up our daily cross by DAILY put on the whole armour of God: which is ALL of the fruit of the Spirit since God is Love and so the whole armour of God is the armour of love and then with the armour in place, we pray in the Spirit with groanings and travail (Gal. 4.19) to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
