LIVING ON THE CROSS

And [Jesus] said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:22-25 ESV)

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (Luke 14:25-28 ESV)

            Followers of Jesus are to consider the cost of living on the cross, which speaks of giving up items of great personal value. Luke 9 is a description of sacrificing “self-focused love” and Luke 14 is a description of sacrificing “the love of every treasured item and relationship.”  Followers of Jesus are to lay at the altar of grace halfhearted devotion and divided loyalties.

            The Luke 14 passage reveals that His statement was made while traveling. Those condemned to crucifixion were normally staked alongside major thoroughfares. Were crosses located along the roadway they were traveling? Did the condemned serve as a natural illustration? Luke only records Jesus’ charge, yet was the requirement of faith both seen and heard while they were traveling?

A cross to bear

            My wife and I ministered in a Minnesota town claiming to be 70% Roman Catholic, 20% Lutheran, and 10% all the other churches combined. By my second meeting with the church leadership council I announced we would evangelize Catholics. A majority of the 70% were affiliated with the church by name only, and through their required participation in the annual “My fair share” financial program, done grudgingly. I even told one of the priests my intentions. He laughed and showed little concern. During the five years overseeing this little congregation, many Roman Catholics started attending, mostly young families.

            One couple at the church was Mike and Sally, dairy farmers. Like many who work the family farm, he labored with the understanding of one day becoming the inheritor. The parents, however, became unhappy with his decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church.

            Mike came to my office one morning very troubled. His dad had just given an ultimatum. If he did not return to the family church, he would lose the inheritance. He loved the farm and wanted to continue the legacy, the family business. He asked me what he should do.

            Coming from an unchurched home and placing faith in God as a teenager, I understood the quandary of choosing between family and faith. The decision had to be exclusively his. This was his cross. I assured him the congregation would understand if he felt they had to do what his father was demanding. We spent time praying together.

            After Mike went on a prolonged personal journey of prayer and reflection, he sat down with his dad for a talk. While fully resolved to live with the consequences, he kindly told him of his love for the family and the farm, but he would not be returning to the family church. Mike also mentioned that his dad should do what he thought best, and he would always love him no matter if he decided to disinherit him. Dad changed his mind.

            The story has a happy ending for Mike, but many are not so fortunate.

Hanging on the cross of Calvary

            If there is going to be any spiritual development in your life, there must be a death to self. When it comes to notoriety, to position, to prestige, to influence, and to power, there must be a complete dying out of want and wishes. With a deeper dying to self, ambitions for status are reduced and what remains is a deep desire to lift up Christ and serve Him fully.

            All subtle, insidious infiltrations of pride are crucified. All selfish motivations are nailed. All ambitions of attainment are pierced with a sword. Everything experiences the agony of letting go until the soul cries out, “It is finished.”

            When the cross is embraced as a mode of living, every area of life feels the pain. Every point of contact on the rough wood and every physical strain for comfort only adds to the anguish. There is absolutely no area of life that can avoid or evade the torture and misery of the cross. From the highest to the lowest level of the inward being, everything becomes saturated with the spirit of Calvary.

            There is great torment associated with the dying of self. Desires and drives personally deemed acceptable and legitimate come under scrutiny. The only passion remaining is the deep groaning to do the will of God. The only objective still intact is abiding in Christ and walking in the Spirit moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day.

Carefully consider

            The value of the various sufferings is taking the self-element to the cross. Most people want to identify with power but they must also identify with pain. Paul wrote Philippian believers, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11 ESV)

            In America, there is so much of self-seeking involved in life. It is not always money. Sometimes notoriety, fame, and the ability to directly or indirectly call attention to self, rules the heart. Many subtleties must be regularly guarded against.

            The more you become like Him in His death, the more you experience the daily expression of resurrection power. Most people want to take a shortcut but none exists. If you want to see the Lord manifested in a great and tremendous way, you must identify not only with His suffering but also His death.

            What does “like Him in His death” mean? Examine the cross for the answer! When a person hangs on the cross, there is no going anyplace unless carried or taken. When hanging on the cross, there are no future plans, no future ambitions and desires as it concerns this world. On the cross there is no holding on to anything. The person turns loose of everything.

            Most people are known for having tremendous potential, but they never come in greater fullness to what God has for them because of clinging to this, that, or some other thing. They grasp onto selfish pride, greedy desires, and covetous agendas.

Your cross

            Nothing can take preeminence and precedence over the will of God. To every ambition and every motive Jesus declares, “Take up your cross.” The challenge of the crucified life, to live dead, is removing self from your personal throne and allowing Jesus to rule and reign over every dimension of your being.

            While visiting New York City, a few Illinois ministers and their spouses spent an afternoon sitting in an office located just off of Times Square, talking with David Wilkerson. One of his more memorable comments gave attention to living a devoted life as an older and longtime follower. He said, “I thought as I got older it would be easier living for God but it isn’t.” I am now one of those older, longtime believers and better understand what he meant.

            I will have been following Jesus for fifty years next month. When starting the journey, I was one very messed up kid. The actions, attitudes and ambitions needing attention were too numerous to count. God graciously unwrapped the onion of my soul, one layer at a time instead of all at once, revealing another tearful odor. He brought me down the road of life until I was ready to address another fault and failure, associated with abiding in the righteousness of Christ, allowing some distance between each confrontation and reducing the overwhelming sense of discouragement.

            Just the other day a situation occurred that surfaced an unsavory odor, and I found myself wondering, “Now where did that come from?” One more attitude needed attention and the time had come to nail it to the cross.

            Hope is only found in God while facing the agonizing moments connected to living on the cross. Crucifixion is a lifelong experience, and when the temporal comes to an end, the ultimate resurrection follows. Until then, depend on new-life power, divinely available during those moments when you come up short of His glory. Tap into His power often, and do not rely on personal strength to overcome during the painful moments of reproof and correction. (2 Timothy 3:16)