Are You Willing To Take Up Your Cross?

In Matthew 16, Jesus begins to tell the disciples about the will of the Father for His life. He goes further, also, to tell them about the will of God for their lives. As his life involved sacrifice, their lives for Him would involve sacrifice, and our lives, if lived for Christ, will involve sacrifice. He truly instructs these men and informs us through the witness of his Word on how to live a Christian life.

To live a Christian life you must live a:


I. Crucified Life: The believer must understand that being a witness for Christ requires that he take up his cross and follow Christ. The cross of Christ represents the will of God for his life, and the cross of the Christian represents the will of God in the saint’s life.
II. A Consecrated Life: To live a Christian life means that you must deny yourself and take up your cross. You will not only need to live a crucified life, you will also need to live a consecrated life. Your cross is God’s will for your life.
III. Conformed Life: Jesus said you must deny yourselves, take up the cross, and “follow me.” Others have given their lives for the cause of Christ. Consider that whatever sacrifices we are making today to serve God is minimal. Consider that, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” II Cor 4:17.