Scripture References: Matthew 16:24
The apostle Peter tells us in Peter 2:21 that Christ left usan example and we are to follow in his steps who did no sin. Following in thesteps of Christ means that we must do as he did when he lived as a man on thisearth. Christ did not sin, but we have all sinned and come short of the gloryof God. When we come to God seeking for salvation and forgiveness of sin, wemust repent, which means we must be willing to forsake this world and begin tofollow Christ and obey him. To take up your cross means that as Christ wascrucified on a cross and dies for our sins, we too must be crucified and dieunto sin. Jesus summed up the whole operation of being crucified in what hesaid as recorded in Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of Godis at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
To believe the gospel simply means to obey the teachings ofChrist found throughout all the scriptures of the New Testament covenant. Obeyingthese truths will crucify the flesh and renew the mind and will in time make usa new creature in Christ, where there is no sin. To accomplish this requiresthat we forsake our own life, which is a life of sin an self-centeredness. It wasthe apostle Peter that reveals what God demands of us after we come to himseeking for salvation and forgiveness of sin. In 1 Peter 4:1-2 we find thesewords "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered or us in the flesh, armyourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the fleshhath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the reset of his time inthe flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."
The deceived religious world today has been led to believethat they will continue to sin after they claim to be saved, but being void ofthe truth on this matter will leave them in their sin being deceived withoutrealizing it. Taking up our cross is an example for us, which reveals we mustbe crucified with Christ putting our sinful nature to death, to live soberly,righteously, and godly in this present world. Our cross is a spiritual crosswhere our sinful nature is destroyed so we can become partakers of the divinenature of Christ. If we are not willing to take up our cross and deny our ownlife and follow Christ, we will definitely suffer the consequences of thesecond death in the lake of fire. The preaching of this cross is foolishness tothem that perish, but to them that are saved or being saved it is the power ofGod. Have you taken up your cross to follow Christ?