Matthew 16 verse 24: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wants to come with Me, he {or she} must deny himself {herself|}. take up his {or her} cross and follow me'."
To be a follower {Christian}, we follow the example of Our Lord, Our Redeemer and Our Friend, Christ Jesus. This verse comes in the same chapter as Peter's revelation of Jesus as The Messiah.
Matthew 16 verse 24; Jesus tells us what a follower must do.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wants to come with Me, he {or she} must deny himself {herself}, take up his cross and follow me'."
At the time of Jesus telling His disciples this, they didn't understand what was going to really happen to Him, the cross represented Jesus dying in theirs and our place, so we could be free from the power of sin.
Galatians 2 verse 19 and 20:
Verse 19; A follower who has taken up his or her cross, has been crucified with Christ.
Verse 20: The result of which I {we} no longer live but Christ lives in me {us}. The life I {we} now live in the flesh I {we} by faith in The Son of God {Christ Jesus}, who loved me {us} and gave Himself for me {us}, but us individually.
.We have been crucified with Christ which means we have come to the cross and have reflected on the dying form of One who suffered there for us. Our response to our reflection of this great loved He displayed for us, is we turn aside from the kind of life we once live, and take our stand at the foot of the cross.
A relinquished life. We take up our cross, so we can die to self and partake of the New Life, that Jesus obtained for us, through His dying on The Cross and rising again in Newness of life.
A relinquished life, surrendered to His purpose for our lives and it takes courage but the rewards are everlasting.
God Bless.
O F J.
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