A Painful Separation

How often do you think of the cross of our Savior and let it remind you of your own cross? Usually we think of the cross and of our Savior's sacrifice- His death and His resurrection, and rightly so, but we mustn't stop there.  If we stop there then we fail to realize the connection between the cross Jesus told us we must take up and His cross. 

Jesus knew the path He was going to take, He knew His mission was to bring the good news of salvation to all and His flesh life's end of that mission was His sacrifice of that flesh, and of all of Himself. Flesh, Soul, Spirit was put to death. Jesus had to die the second death, only then could He be resurrected by the Father and lead the way into life everlasting for all sinners who would accept His truth, who would believe.

Jesus knew we would have to take up our crosses and not only take them up, but take them up daily. Jesus knew we'd have to suffer. You can't take up a cross without suffering. So why do we believe we should not have to suffer, that Jesus should save us from ALL suffering. That when we suffer we are clearly on God's bad side, but that's not the truth and at all.

Act 5:40  And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 

Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 

1Co 4:9  For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 

1Co 4:10  We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 

1Co 4:11  Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 

1Co 4:12  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 

1Co 4:13  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 

1Co 4:14  I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 

1Co 4:15  For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 

1Co 4:16  Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. 

1Co 4:17  For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. 

1Co 4:18  Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. 

1Co 4:19  But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. 

1Co 4:20  For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 

1Co 4:21  What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? 

Php_1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake

1Th_3:4  For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

2Ti_3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

1Pe_2:20  For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

1Pe_3:14  But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled

1Pe_3:17  For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

'(6) Daily bear the cross. Because the Lord desires to sever our spirit and soul He arranges crosses in our everyday affairs for us to bear. To take up the cross daily, to deny self at all times, to make no provision for the flesh—not even for a moment, and to be shown constantly by the Holy Spirit what are the activities of the soul in our lives: this is spiritual life. Through faithful obedience we shall be led to encounter the dividing of soul and spirit so that we may experience a pure spiritual walk.'  The Spiritual Man- Watchman Nee

The cross we take up will cause us personal suffering as we are such soul-selfish people of great magnitude. The daily glimpses into our terrible selfishness will be shown to us and when we choose to deny our soul-self it will be painful for us. PAINFUL.  Think about that for a bit, please, and pray, pray that we will be able to suffer that pain so we can have a separated soul-self and spirit.

Please, Lord, please bless us to this end. All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever.

AMEN.