| Luke 9:23 Display Chapter and Footnotes 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.] | Matthew 10:39 Display Chapter and Footnotes 39 He who finds his life shall lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it.4 [To find the superior life of God, Christ must put off the body of the sins of your flesh by circumcising your heart, destroying all sin in you; which occurs by you following Jesus on the inward cross of self-denial, to thereby save your soul to live the superior Life of God in union with God. If you live after the flesh (the sinful nature), you will die; but if through the Spirit you mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, you will live. Rom 8:13.] | 2 Timothy 2:11-12 Display Chapter and Footnotes 11 This is a faithful saying: If we have died with him, we will also live with him. [To have died with the Lord is to have had your sinful nature mortified and crucified on the inward cross of self-denial, and to have undergone the baptism of death: Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, Rom 6:4; and being buried with him in the baptism of death, you will be raised with him. Col 2:12. Like the resurrection of Lazarus, after you undergo the baptism of death, the Lord calls you by name to "come forth." This is not to be presumed; it must be experienced. 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. This death is not a figure of speech. For detail on the baptism of fire and death, see the footnote to Matthew 3:11-12 on this site.] 12 If we endure suffering, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us. [You must have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings; 1 Pet 4:12-13. Indeed, all who are determined to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12. For it is given to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Phil 1:29. From the Word of the Lord within: "These are not paths of glory traveled lightly."] | Galatians 5:24 Display Chapter and Footnotes 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."] |