| Luke 9:23-24 23 And he said to them all, "If any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [To follow is to be led by the Spirit. To be led, you must persistently and patiently sit in humble silence to wait on the Lord, as you listen for his word within your heart to speak to you; then you must obey Him. Self-denial occurs by obeying the Lord's commands you hear instead of your will, (His will, not your will); this is the inward cross of self-denial. First, He will lead you out of darkness to a sinless state; to then guide your thoughts, words, and works; which works show His glory and love to the world.] 24 For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. [When you continually deny yourself and obey the Lord's commands, you will eventually die to your selfish life on the inward cross of self-denial, and thereby save your soul to live Life in union with God. You lose your life at the conclusion of your crucifixion of self, with many many acts of commanded repentance, several trials with suffering, and then the baptism of fire, which is the baptism of death. For detail on this baptism of fire and death, see the footnote to Matthew 3:12 on this site.] | 1 Corinthians 1:18,24 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved the cross is the power of God.5 [Those who take up the inward cross of self-denial quickly experience the power of God to begin freeing them from sin. From the Word of the Lord within: "With the true gospel there is ample proof along the way. There are many that deny the cross and all that is necessary. He who is not on the cross is not worthy of me. The purpose of this website is to teach you how to carry your cross. Every man that comes, must come through the cross;—I say every man!"] 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. | Galatians 5:24,6:14 24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections].6 [After your sinful nature has been put to death on the inward cross of self-denial, then you belong to Christ as you walk in love, following the Spirit, fulfilling the law; and then you receive an imputed righteousness. Having suffered on the cross, you no longer live the rest of your time in the lusts of men, but you live to the will of God, 1 Pet 4:1-2; which is to be obediently led and guided by the Spirit in thoughts, words, and deeds. From the Word of the Lord within: "The purpose of this website is to teach you how to carry your cross."] 14 But God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. [How could the world be crucified to Paul? It is the world that is within every man that Paul writes of being crucified, which world within George Fox wrote a detailed explanation, and which is the world in the Book of Revelation that is purged of Babylon and sin — or crucified. From the Word of the Lord within: "The world in every man is destroyed by the Lord. I am He who destroys the world."] | Colossians 1:29 29 For this purpose I labor, striving according to his power that works mightily in me. | ||||||