Breakthrough|Freedom|Doinion.
In order to enhance your comprehension of the concept of ‘cross-less’, I recommend that you begin by reading the first part of this topic posted below this page.
Matthew 10:38 ESV
“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me”
As the church endeavors to extend the message of Christ’s kingdom in a society dominated and governed by technology, a generation influenced by social media, the significance of the “cross” appears to be disconnected from a substantial portion of the Christian community. A significant number of believers are instead leading lives devoid of the cross.
Restoring broken relationships, reuniting with those with whom you are in conflict, and reconnecting with those whom you have animosity towards or dislike are deemed as priorities by God. Embracing forgiveness and seeking reconciliation with those who have wronged you may be the cross that God wishes for you to bear.
Upon embracing the cross and humbly surrendering completely to the Lord, God will ultimately elevate you to the long-awaited resurrected life you have been longing for.
Remember the story of Joseph in Genesis 37, despite being betrayed by his brothers, he forgave them and provided for their needs.
Consequently, God, in his sovereign wisdom, allowed him to rule over them. Similar circumstances can be observed in the case of our Lord, who was betrayed and killed, yet forgave his perpetrators and graciously extended the opportunity of eternam life for all. Hence, God made him a ruler of all things as a King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all.
Therefore, God appointed him as a ruler of all things, bearing the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all. It is possible that, despite years of being a Christian, you may still find it challenging to show respect to those in positions of authority over you, be it your pastor, church leaders, parents, employer, or any other authority figure. Thus, prior to bestowing honor upon an individual, God may deem it necessary for them to exhibit humility by displaying respect towards those in authority over them.
The Bible says in Proverbs 15:33 “Humility comes before honor”.
The Bible says concerning Jesus in Philippians 2:7-8 we read,
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names”.
Whenever God ordains a trial in an individual’s existence, He also grants the possibility of a revival that will bring glory and distinction to the individual.
Conversely, it is Satan’s intention to foist upon every faithful follower a cross-less life, that is a life devoid of trials (a Christian life rife with transgressions and concessions).
A cross-less life is a lifestyle that spurns the inherent governance of God; it is a life that opts to venture down its own course, departing from the sacred decrees of God (embodied in the Bible). It’s a life devoid of trials yet professes fondness for the Lord but declines to abide by His edicts.
A cross-less life loves the Lord but refuses to do what He says.
Thats why Jesus said, “And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say” (Luke 4:46).
A cross-less life is a lifestyle that professes love for God while also indulging in the fleeting pleasures of the world (Please refer to James 4:4, 1 John 2:15).
Such a person may pray, worship, and attend church regularly, yet consistently violates spiritual principles and fails to submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which offers the ability to conquer sin.
A life without the cross will ultimately finds solace in sin, avoids confession of wrongdoing to God, and shies away from discussions pertaining to sin.
What is your cross? What is the Holy Spirit telling you to give up that you are still holding on to? Some people’s cross is their bad temper, others is addictions to various types of things (God can reveal it to you if you let Him).
For example, Peter the disciple was crucified on an inverted cross, while Andrew was crucified on a cross in the shape of an X. The identification of one’s cross is a deeply personal process that can be facilitated by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, should one choose to humbly seek it.
Satan always fights the person carrying the cross. He will make multiple efforts to impede your progress in carrying your cross by employing a variety of distractions through individuals, locations, and objects.
This is because he is aware that wherever there is a cross, there is a resurrection, and wherever there is a resurrection, there is supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to overcome him (Romans 1:4).
When Jesus was preparing to be crucified, Satan deceptively influenced one of his disciples to prevent him from proceeding to the cross (Matthew 16:21-24).
This indicates that Satan will utilize individuals and earthly objects to obstruct or impede your acceptance of your cross.
The cross will often leave you with a feeling of loneliness.
When Jesus was on the cross, He felt lonely. He screamed,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Matthew 27:46)”.
When Jesus was about to go on the cross, all His disciples run away leaving him alone (Mark 14:50). Often, your cross might cause you to lose some of your friends.
The cross might force you to abstain from certain places that you use to go that feed the gratification of your flesh. The cross might cause you to abstain from watching certain television shows, movies or internet sites that gratifies the lust of the flesh.
My prayer is that you will remain steadfast, strong, unremovable, unshakable and unstoppable towards the goal, the dream, the purpose or the assignment given to you by the Lord. And whatever cross is before you, pick it up and move forward because your resurrection at the end will be greater than the pain of the cross itself.
Don’t boycott your divine assignment by taking the easy way out through short cuts designed by the devil. Remain faithful to the Lord because He is faithful to fulfill His promises to you. The lord will never fail you, though His promises might delay, they will surely come to pass because God’s delay is not His denial. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:3)”.
Author Andrew A. Osei
Recommended: https://andrewaosei.org/2019/02/07/cross-less-life-part-1/
To the andrewaosei.org admin, Good job!