
Mat. 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
We all know that one day, if we have been a faithful servant of Christ, we will reign with Him in glory. And that the suffering we have experienced in this world is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. But before these things could happen, the verse above us told us to carry our cross. We need to identify with the suffering of our Lord.
First, the Lord Jesus had to identify with us and become a man in order to pay the price and redeem mankind. But having been redeemed, we are called to identify ourselves with Him and His death so that His life may be expressed through us. Vance Havner expressed it well when he wrote:
“Where are the marks of the cross in your life? Are there any points of identification with your Lord? Alas, too many Christians wear medals but carry no scars.”
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