Capacity for The Cross

One of the primary prerequisites for being a Disciple of Christ is the carrying of one's cross. Jesus makes it clear in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew that if one desires to be His Disciple they must take up their cross. What I'm learning though, is that it takes Capacity to Bear the Cross. The Call to the Cross is not an easy one, and one that few Christians, unfortunately, choose to bear. However, I don't believe it 's simply a matter of refusal or blatant disobedience to the Will of God. In order to bear your cross, in order to be a true Disciple of Christ, you must have Capacity for The Cross.

The key to bearing one's cross is the element of Crucifixion. This is what happens on the cross; you get Crucified. So if you're not willing to be Crucified, then you're not prepared to bear your cross. The concept of Crucifixion and the application thereof is not a topic that I hear frequently in the mainstream church. But it is a top priority for Discipleship Training. Therefore, we need to understand some of the elements of the Crucifixion process that are pertinent to us bearing our cross.

The first area of Crucifixion is the flesh. The scripture says very clearly that they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5). The flesh is the sinful nature that we as human beings have inherited as a result of the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden (Romans chapters 5-8). For this reason, we have an internal propensity to go against the Divine Will of God for our lives (Galatians 5). The scripture says that our responsibility as Christians is to crucify this flesh; which means we have to die to the sinful nature. In order to submit to this Crucifixion process, which is part of the Sanctification of the believer, you must have Capacity.

The next area of Crucifixion is being crucified to the world. Paul said that he was crucified to the world (Galatians 6). It's one thing to be crucified to the flesh, but it's another thing to be crucified to the world. You can still serve Christ and be lured and fascinated by the trappings of the world. This is not the Will of God. That's why Jesus made it clear that as the children of God, we are not of this world (John 15). The scripture also says that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4). We must be crucified (dead) to the world so that our focus is not on earthly things but on the things of the Kingdom of Heaven (Colossians 3).

Lastly saints, if one is going to have Capacity for the Cross, one must be endued with Hope. The bible says that Jesus endured the Cross because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12). That's Hope. What are you hoping for in Christ? What are you reaching for in the Lord, in the temporal and the Eternal, that is worth dying for? If you haven't found something within your Kingdom Call that would allow you to proactively lay down your life, more than likely, you still need to develop more Capacity for The Cross.