Goodboy
Just waiting for the Rapture at this point!
Pick Up Your Cross
(Luke 9:23) 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”.
Most of us have read or heard this verse or at least part of it before, but I believe I was given a better understand of its meaning. It is really amazing how the Holy Spirt can just give you something out of the blue.
The most common use of this verse by pastor/teachers is to exhort us to do God’s will. In this context “Pick Up Your Cross” means to fight against the flesh in order to do God’s will. So in this context it is not focusing on sin or our sinful nature. The cross here is the work of God you are supposed to accomplish in your life.
The other meaning of this verse is for us to refrain from sin. In this context “Pick Up Your Cross” means to fight against the flesh in order that you do not sin. So in this context the focus is on refraining from sin. The cross here is the sinful temptations that you were born with, what ever they happen to be.
(Mat 26:41) “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.
In the verse above we can see that the spirit of the born again believer is willing to both do God’s will and refrain from sin, but the flesh is not. So we must daily strive to do God’s will and fight against sin.
If you have understood what I have written so far, hopefully you understand that we are born with a desire for certain types of sins which is “Our Cross”. You notice that Jesus did not say for us to pick up “The Cross”. He said “Let him take up HIS Cross daily”. So this new (new for me anyway) understanding of this verse allows us to use it to deal with some common issues.
“I can not stop over eating, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lying, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop cheating, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop stealing, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lusting after women, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lusting after those of my same gender, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
P I C K U P Y O U R C R O S S !!!
Conversation between Christian and professing homosexual.
Homosexual: “Why do you accuse me? You don’t quite understand, I was born Gay and therefore can not help what I do.”
Christian: “You say you were born Gay. Being gay is a cheerful response to external stimulation, or a state of mind. What is it that you're trying to tell me?
Homosexual: “Ok, I see where you are going. What I meant to say is that I was born a homosexual, is that better.”
Christian: “Not really. We are not born with a sexual attraction as a baby. Our sexual attraction develops over time, not sure at what age but certainly no younger than six months.”
Homosexual: “Ok, I see you are really trying to make this hard for me. What I meant to say is that I was born with a tendency to be attracted to my same gender. Now you can’t argue with that.”
Christian: “Now that I have forced you to state clearly what you really mean, I don’t need to argue with it. I was born with tendencies to lie, cheat, steal, lust after women and many other sins. I do not however engage in these sins as a practice.
Do I lie? Sometimes, but I am not a liar.
Do I cheat? Sometimes, but I am not a cheater.
Do I steal? Sometimes, but I am not a thief.
Do I lust after women? Sometimes, but I am not a whoremonger.
So even if there are times that for what ever reason you fail to control yourself and have a sexual encounter with someone of your same gender. Why do you now not only accept but also embrace the title of homosexual?
I was born with a tendency to sin.
You were born with a tendency to sin.
P I C K U P Y O U R C R O S S !!!
Goodboy
(Luke 9:23) 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”.
Most of us have read or heard this verse or at least part of it before, but I believe I was given a better understand of its meaning. It is really amazing how the Holy Spirt can just give you something out of the blue.
The most common use of this verse by pastor/teachers is to exhort us to do God’s will. In this context “Pick Up Your Cross” means to fight against the flesh in order to do God’s will. So in this context it is not focusing on sin or our sinful nature. The cross here is the work of God you are supposed to accomplish in your life.
The other meaning of this verse is for us to refrain from sin. In this context “Pick Up Your Cross” means to fight against the flesh in order that you do not sin. So in this context the focus is on refraining from sin. The cross here is the sinful temptations that you were born with, what ever they happen to be.
(Mat 26:41) “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.
In the verse above we can see that the spirit of the born again believer is willing to both do God’s will and refrain from sin, but the flesh is not. So we must daily strive to do God’s will and fight against sin.
If you have understood what I have written so far, hopefully you understand that we are born with a desire for certain types of sins which is “Our Cross”. You notice that Jesus did not say for us to pick up “The Cross”. He said “Let him take up HIS Cross daily”. So this new (new for me anyway) understanding of this verse allows us to use it to deal with some common issues.
“I can not stop over eating, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lying, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop cheating, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop stealing, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lusting after women, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
“I can not stop lusting after those of my same gender, it is an addiction I was born with”.
Pick Up Your Cross!
P I C K U P Y O U R C R O S S !!!
Conversation between Christian and professing homosexual.
Homosexual: “Why do you accuse me? You don’t quite understand, I was born Gay and therefore can not help what I do.”
Christian: “You say you were born Gay. Being gay is a cheerful response to external stimulation, or a state of mind. What is it that you're trying to tell me?
Homosexual: “Ok, I see where you are going. What I meant to say is that I was born a homosexual, is that better.”
Christian: “Not really. We are not born with a sexual attraction as a baby. Our sexual attraction develops over time, not sure at what age but certainly no younger than six months.”
Homosexual: “Ok, I see you are really trying to make this hard for me. What I meant to say is that I was born with a tendency to be attracted to my same gender. Now you can’t argue with that.”
Christian: “Now that I have forced you to state clearly what you really mean, I don’t need to argue with it. I was born with tendencies to lie, cheat, steal, lust after women and many other sins. I do not however engage in these sins as a practice.
Do I lie? Sometimes, but I am not a liar.
Do I cheat? Sometimes, but I am not a cheater.
Do I steal? Sometimes, but I am not a thief.
Do I lust after women? Sometimes, but I am not a whoremonger.
So even if there are times that for what ever reason you fail to control yourself and have a sexual encounter with someone of your same gender. Why do you now not only accept but also embrace the title of homosexual?
I was born with a tendency to sin.
You were born with a tendency to sin.
P I C K U P Y O U R C R O S S !!!
Goodboy
