* Luke 14:27 - Bearing One's Own Cross

Whoever does not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. -- Luke 14:27.

THE Lord's cross-bearing consisted in the doing of the Father's will under unfavorable conditions. This course brought upon Him the envy, hatred, malice, strife, persecution, etc., of those who thought themselves to be God's people, but whom our Lord, who read their hearts, declared to be of their father, the devil.... Since we are walking in the same "narrow way" that our Master walked, we may reasonably expect that our crosses will be of similar kind to His -- oppositions to our doing the will of our Father in heaven -- oppositions to our serving His cause and letting the light shine out as our Master and Leader directed. -- Excerpts from "Followers of Jesus: Cross-Bearers", ZWT, September 1, 1903.

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At times we have met some who claim that Jesus was saying that we must bear Jesus' cross. From this, some have even thought that "bearing" a image of the cross is what Jesus was speaking of. Such actually leads to cross worship, which, in turn, would be idolatry. Of course, Jesus did not say we have to bear his cross, but rather that we need to bear our own cross, as we follow the example of our Lord Jesus. Of course, none of us can die on the cross in order to save sinners as did Jesus, but our cross is to bear the sufferings that come with being a servant of Jesus. -- RRD.

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Some, upon, looking at the vast majority of Christians in the many different "Christian" denominations, have sought to draw some line of differentiation between those we might consider to be those who are truly bearing their cross and those who are not. Such reasoning often leads to the formation of another sect, with those of that particular sect claiming that only they are Christ's disciples while claiming that those of all other sects are not Christ's disciples. Jesus warned against this in the parable of the wheat and tares; instead of this being given to men to determine, Jesus tells us it is given to angels. We do not believe that this determination of true disciples is made known until after the saints shine in the Kingdom after Satan has been abyssed. --- RRD.

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Related Studies
(We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions presented)

In the Vineyard of Grace

The Broken Body and Shed Blood

Related Scriptures:

Matthew 7:13,14

Matthew 8:19,20

Matthew 10:37-39

Matthew 13:21

Matthew 13:45-47

Matthew 16:24-26

Mark 8:34-37

Mark 10:21

Mark 15:21

Luke 9:23-25

Luke 14:26,28

Luke 18:28-33

John 19:17

Acts 14:22

Acts 20:22-24

Romans 14:1

Romans 15:3

1 Corinthians 9: 25-27

Galatians 5:16,17

Galatians 5:24

2 Timothy 1:12

2 Timothy 3:12

1 Peter 2:11-16.