First let me say it is the desire of God Almighty that all would grow unto maturity in Christ Jesus His son. To acquire of a life that guarantees victories and breakthrough over the snares of sin and the attacks of the enemy, but not just to experience a passage of grace, but rather to become and inheritor of glory in Christ. God’s love would be of no value if one has not responded back in love toward Him!
SO WHAT ABOUT THIS SECOND CROSS???
Well Jesus said ... I am the way, the truth, and the life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME. John 14:5 Jesus also said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth NOT by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a THIEF and a ROBBER. John 10:1
In other words in order to experience God’s grace, forgiveness, unconditional Love and everything in-between that is Holy, Pure and without spot, wrinkle and labeled with a guarantee, one could never obtain such WITHOUT going through Jesus!
With that said many feel because they repented and accepted what Jesus has done on the cross that it is license to go about their merry way, live however they live or want and think that their good intentions in life is enough reason, along with their acknowledgment of God to just be A-Okay and consider not if their lives be pleasing unto Him! It is a incomplete walk if we stop at the cross of Calvary!
HERE IS WHERE THE SECOND CROSS COMES IN!
Every morning my beautiful bride makes me lunch and before I leave off to work she makes sure to say "DON'T FORGET YOUR LUNCH!" And how could I forget, she is such an amazing cook!!! Sometimes other things are on my mind for the day, but she is faithful to remind me of the resource I need to help me continue in strength for the day and accomplish all I am set out to do!
I believe for every Christian as we begin each day and about to tackle the world's problems or cultivate the ministries Jesus puts before us, He is daily reminding us by His Spirit..."DON'T FORGET YOUR CROSS!!!" You see may be very mindful of His cross, but sometimes we forget to take our cross. Sure His cross brought us into fellowship with Him, but the cross we are called to carry is what gives us strength (GRACE) to CONTINUE in Him and overcome and inherit all that He desires to bless us with and bring us into!
Then said Jesus UNTO HIS DISCIPLES,... IF ANY MAN will COME AFTER ME, let him deny himself, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and follow me. Matthew 16:24
Society today has been arguing against such Christians who take up their cross daily, denying themselves shouting “stop forcing your belief on me”. Some would say it is wrong to mix beliefs and politics together! But the fact was that our founding Father’s had a Biblical world view even in drafting our founding documents. The reason why our constitution talks about what man CAN NOT DO is because in that day they believed that man left to Himself is depraved and unruly. Hence we have checks and balances within our government to overseas governance.
However it was the pulpit that was to overseas the affairs of the heart and in right standing with the rule of God (Bible). At that time man believed that if people were in touch with the righteousness of God in their hearts there was no need for government to put a leash on people and constantly draft amendments and such to secure rights of people, because they all lived understanding and obtaining a Biblical worldview and not a secular world view. Actually for this reason our founding father fled from a tyrannical King who ruled all by Himself and tried forcing religion and so forth. But when America was founded, by prayer and complete consideration of the scriptures, the founding Father’s came to the convictions that only taking in the scriptures man can live accountable and governed by God in leaving peaceable and loving toward them and God, as well as toward their neighbor!
SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO ABOUT THE SECOND CROSS?
Well it has to do with everything, more specifically to the professed Christian. You see it is the "hyper grace" message that gives license to obey the law in the Old Testament, but to not really live by the law of God in our hearts or minds and by the convictions of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 10:16). In other words we can easily forget that IT IS a requirement and not an option that in order to obtain and work out your salvation in Jesus YOU MUST carry this second cross!
Jesus died on the cross to take care of your SINS, but this second cross is what takes care of your SELF. Jesus’ death on Calvary is the ticket to the world that whoever believes on Him and what He has done, shall become a candidate to go on to perfection! The second cross has nothing to do with other people but your own self. Jesus saved us from our sins, but this second cross IF PICKED UP DAILY saves us from ourselves and enables us to keep walking in the ways of righteous and experience dimensions of His greater grace!
The first cross (Calvary) is where MERCY is found, but the second cross (DENYING SELF) is where grace can be obtained! Truly one could never experience God’s grace DAILY without denying the flesh and apprehending Jesus! Jesus is the embodiment of grace and He said if any man desire to come after me, to pursue me, to lay hold of me, then let him deny himself daily by taking up his cross, his attitude, his self-will, his self-ish-ness!
Paul said in Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Jesus did not permit certain activities or ways in the Old Testament that were named SINFUL, but rather He confirmed it by fulfilling the law on the cross and thus grace actually by definition BIBLICALLY encourages us to go ABOVE AND BEYOND where the law left off, NOT down and backwards!
GRACE does not tolerate sinfulness, but actually RISES ABOVE and OVERCOMES it! Grace IS NOT an automatic Christian right, but rather a God given gift and privilege!
As I said in the beginning it is the desire of God Almighty that all would grow unto maturity in Christ Jesus His son. To acquire of a life that guarantees victories and breakthrough over the snares of sin and the attacks of the enemy, but not just to experience a passage of grace, but rather to become and inheritor of glory in Christ. God’s love would be of no value if one has not responded back in love toward Him!
The only way to achieve that is if we pick up our cross daily! It is when we deny our flesh that tries to entertain the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride within our individual lives.
I believe God is doing great things in The Church today among His REMNANT! A people who don’t just stand around the first cross, but who have laid their lives down upon the second cross and follow Jesus!
Is God gracious? NO QUESTION! Is it license to condone sinfulness? Absolutely not!
As a Christian we are called to be a light in darkness and not to let the light hid! To speak TRUTH in LOVE and to show LOVE in TRUTH!
We cannot shout all about love, when we neglect the truth and we cannot herald THE TRUTH if we refuse to love! When love left to itself without the truth of God’s Word, will encourage others to redefine what love is and therefore what truth must be.
God established what love and truth are and when we take on the second cross we will come to know the goodness and liberty of it!
We are not saved by our works, however we are saved to go unto good works!
So as Paul says in Hebrews 6:1 …, LET US GO UNTO PERFECTION…
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