"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."" – Matthew 16:24
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said that those who want to follow Him must learn to deny themselves and take up their cross to do so. Of course it's a given that our salvation is by grace through faith in His finished work alone, but why do we have to take up our cross?
It's a good thing
Many Christians often fail to pursue maturity in the Lord, having stopped at salvation. Some think that because Christ has already died for them and they have already been forgiven and freed, they can now enjoy the goodness of God because they're now His beloved children. That's true, but it doesn't end there.
Denying ourselves and taking up our crosses doesn't mean we'll have to work for our salvation. Rather, because we are saved we decide to lay down our lives for the sole purpose of glorifying God's name. We let go of our both our sinful and selfish desires and choose to pursue holiness and a life that enjoys nothing but the fulfillment of the will of God.
Thus, denying ourselves and taking up our crosses is actually a good thing, because by it we are enabled to truly pursue what God desires. After all, "the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh" (see Galatians 5:17).
Taking up your cross
So maybe you're thinking what cross are we really taking up if Christ already took our place in Calvary. That's a good question - one that has been circulating in my mind for some time. I hope to offer some insights that might help.
1) It's the cross that reminds us of our salvation in Christ
Jesus said in John 3:14-15, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."
We know that by dying Christ paid for our salvation and redemption. When we take up our cross daily, we actually remind ourselves of Christ's finished work: that our salvation is through Him and by Him alone.
2) It's the cross that reminds us of our freedom from sin
Galatians 5:24 tells us, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
This cross that we bear reminds us that our sins have already been nailed to the cross, and that as we follow Christ we are under no obligation to obey the sinful nature's urges (see Romans 8:12).
3) It reminds us of our identity in Christ
Romans 13:14 tells us, "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."
The cross we bear reminds us that we live as God's holy children and Christ's representatives in this world. We were saved by Him, and our ultimate goal is to be like Him (see Romans 8:29). Thus, when we carry our cross, we commit to be increasingly like Him all the days of our lives.
