Feb 13, 2012
Cross Bearing
Posted by Pastor Todd Murphy in | Comments (0)
I want to talk momentarily about Cross bearing. It is something we hear from time to time. From the perspective of the Gospels, however, it is at the very center of our faith. We might even call it another name for repentance. There are several things we can immediately observe about cross bearing. First it implies suffering. The Christian life is meant to be formed up in the image of Jesus and his suffering. Like Jesus, we learn obedience by the things we suffer (Heb. 5:8) because the servant is not greater than the master (Luke 10:24-25).
Second, there is a choice involved. Jesus says in Matt. 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Here it not only implies that it is a choice, but a choice of self denial. It is actively choosing to deny oneself of what would otherwise be comfortable convenient, and satisfying. The cross is for sure a symbol of suffering. Paul himself also says in 2Tim. 3:12, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Cross-bearing that the NT is about the intentional self denial of pursuing a godly life. It is not easy. There are of course those today of the hyper-calvinistic mindset who would like us to think that there is no decision involved. This is a misunderstanding of the Reformed tradition and Scripture. Scripture does clearly teach that God is a God of election (Rom. 9-11). But it does not tell us who those are, and likewise tells us that he is the savior of all them (1 Tim 4:10), and to preach the Gospel to all men (Acts 17:30). It is not for us to ponder on whether any man is part of the elect except ourselves. Thus the Gospel call to take up our cross is a call to respond.
Third, it is ongoing and continuous. Notice how “follow” implies walking behind someone on a journey. This may be the most important point. The cross which we bare is not something we take up only in our initial encounter with Jesus, but it defines what it means to be his disciple.
Active & Passive Cross-bearing
There is a certain amount of cross bearing that comes purely from being identified as a Christian. I call this passive because it does not require initiation on our part. It does require a great deal of faith and fortitude, especially when persecution turns violent. Many Christians in the early Church and those today in Asia and Africa have experienced this. It does does of course require spiritual discipline, in the sense of enduring in the face of it. But still, it does not require initiation because it is forced upon the individual from outside. We know that persecution is always destructive to the Church, though a great deal of spiritual life and witness often spring from it. But in my opinion, there is something that is always more destructive to the Church than persecution. That is comfort. This brings us to active cross bearing.
Active Cross bearing is what is normative. It is the basic requirement for every Christian, in every age, in every situation. It is the call to “take up your cross.” It is not only required of the persecuted Christian, but of all, especially those who live in a comfortable environment. In fact it is here in this situation, that is may take a greater act of the will. It is when the Church is not persecuted, when we prosper, when we are comforted, that we grow the most complacent. Active cross bearing requires us to stare our comfort in the face and ask what way we may serve Christ better. It requires us to ask what about our current life can we give up that will make us a more effective witness for Christ.
In this way, active cross bearing requires true Gospel based decision making. This can look different for many Christians, but at its root, it is the same. For some woman, it may be giving up something else she does to spend time with a person in need. For some man, it may mean giving up a hobby or TV time to pursue the study of Scripture or the serve another person. But any way you cut it, it is a choice to give up what is more comfortable for what is more godly and eternal. And here is the point, it is in a comfortable context where it is most necessary. When the Church is socially comfortable here in the west, this discipline is most necessary.
For us here in the west, Christianity has been reduced to a set of ideas that are understood cognitively. But for most of the history of the Church, it was not so. This truncated perspective is the results of an oversimplification of Reformation doctrines. We would all like to think that because we believe the right ideas we have a ticket to heaven because of it. But that is just not the case. God is not fooled. He is not mocked.
Gal. 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
What is Paul’s point here? His point is not to say that what we do is what actually redeems us. But his point is that what we do reflects the reality of our redemption. The one who sows to the flesh will reap corruption. That means eternal damnation. But the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life. This means that the person who encounters the Gospel responds in faith and obeys the Gospel (2 Tim 1:8 & 1 Pet. 4:17) that person has a sure hope of eternal life. The danger all of us face as Christians is taking our faith for granted and mocking God. It is to look at Christianity as merely a set of beliefs rather than a way of life. Who is a real Christian? It is he or she who actively takes up one’s cross.
Posted by Pastor Todd Murphy in | Comments (0)
Before you post that comment, give it a ponder.
