Breakthrough|Freedom|Dominion.
To further enrich your understanding of the term ‘cross-less life’ I encourage you to first read part one of this subject.
Matthew 10:38 ESV
“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me”
As the church attempts to expand the kingdom message of Christ in a world ruled and controlled by technology, a generation that is led by social media, the revelation of the “cross” seems to be out of touch with many in the body of Christ. Many are rather living cross-less lives.
What is a cross-less life? A cross-less life is a life that takes short cuts to get what one wants in life. It avoids the cross (the right way which often comes with challenges, but at the end, gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment’s in the Lord) and rather, takes the easy way out which often comes with pleasure and excitement but leads to pain, regret and loss.
The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 ESV
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”.
When you endure your cross by avoiding short cuts in life that is provided by the prince of darkness (Satan), God promotes you like He did Joseph (Genesis 41:37-44), like He did Esther (Esther 2:17) and all the great men and women who He elevated and promoted in the Bible.
Perhaps you are a Christian but still struggle to forgive others, you still battle with slandering others, gossiping, backbiting, strife and constant warring with others (family members, friends, co-workers and brother and sisters in Christ).
Often, these are the areas that the Holy Spirit highlights in the heart of many to correct before He brings them to the fruitful place they so yearn for because the Bible says “we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 2:18)”. This means that restoration of relationships that has been broken, reunion with those that you are in strife with and reconnecting with those that you hate or dislike is a priority to God.
This could be the cross that God wants you to carry by forgiving others and reconciling with those who have offended you. Once you accept the cross and humbly crucify the flesh and its pride, God will then elevate you to the new resurrected life you have been longing for.
Remember the story of Joseph in Genesis 37, though his brothers betrayed him yet, he forgave them and gave them provision and amenities. Hence, God in his sovereign wisdom made him to rule over them. The same scenario can be applied to our Lord. He was betrayed and killed yet, he forgave his perpetrators (humanity) and reached out to open the gate of eternal life for all us. Hence, God made him a ruler of all things as a King of Kings and Lord over all.
Perhaps you have been a Christian for years but still struggle to honor those in authority above you (it could be your pastor, church leaders, your parents, your boss at work or anyone who may be in place of authority above you. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:33 “Humility comes before honor”. Therefore, before God honors a person, He might require them to first walk in humility by demonstrating honor towards those in authority over them.
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 places a cross in a person’s life, He also allows a resurrection which will honor and elevate the person’s name. Therefore, Satan’s plan is to give every believer a cross-less life (A Christian life that is filled with sins and compromises).
A cross-less life is a life that rejects the divine order of God. Its a life that chooses to walk in their own path, away from God’s divine instructions (the Bible). That’s why God says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your path”. A cross-less life loves the Lord but refuses to do what the 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 loves God but also loves the pleasures of this world (Please read James 4:4, 1 John 2:15). A person living a cross-less life prays, they worship, they attend church regularly but still breach the spiritual laws of God daily and never yield themselves to the Holy Spirit who can help them overcome sin.
A cross-less life is comfortable in sin. It does not confess its sins to God. It hates to discuss the topic of sin, whenever the topic of sin arises, they avoid it by saying “This is glorifying the devil”.
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).
Everyone’s cross is different, Peter the disciple died on the cross which was placed upside down, Andrew the disciple died on a cross made in a shape of an X. No one’s cross is the same. It’s only the Holy Spirit who can reveal and identify your cross for you and He will if you humbly allow Him.
Satan always fights the person carrying the cross. He will make many attempts to stop you from carrying your cross by using various kinds of distractions through people, places and things. Why? Because he knows that where there is a cross, there is a resurrection and where there is a resurrection there is supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to overcome him (Romans 1:4).
When Jesus was getting ready to go on the cross, Satan cunningly moved one of his disciples to stop him from going on the cross (Matthew 16:21-24). This means that Satan will use people and things of this world (worldly pleasures) to hinder or stop you from taking up 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
To the andrewaosei.org admin, Good job!