Look and Live

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.'"   Matthew 16:24


Most of us are familiar with this verse.  When Jesus spoke these words, the hearer would have been shocked. The cross represented death...a criminal death, at that. It would not have only seemed unthinkable, but impossible. Yet, our God is in the business of making what is impossible with man possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, isn't He?! True life involves dying to self that we may be found hid in Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and following in our Savior's footsteps. 

Sometimes, though, I can't help but wonder if we see this command...this taking up our cross...as a burden to bear, a weight of "to-do's" to obey, so that we might be found worthy and might be seen as true followers of Christ. We take up our cross...this beautiful symbol of the means of our salvation...and sling it across our back, as we "bear" the responsibility of obediently sacrificing and dying to self. And we feel duty far more than delight. 

But what if we took up our cross and raised it in front of us? What if we fixed our eyes on the cross and, step by step and moment by moment, reminded ourselves of the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf? What if we consider that his death on the cross was not just the truth that saved us but the grace that we must daily walk in? He lived the perfect life we couldn't, died in our place to take away the Father's wrath that was justly upon us, and is not only the Author of our faith but the Perfecter of it, too. When He cried, "It is finished," there was not one more obedient act for him to complete nor one more drop of God's wrath to be absorbed. That is the righteousness that we are clothed in! When we deny and die to self, that is the glory that we are walking in as we follow Jesus! 

Meditating on these truths takes our souls from duty to delight! How can our hearts not swell in worship, praise, and amazement at this great love? When the cross is not seen as a burden to carry but glory to hold up and fix our gaze upon, we begin to know what it means to truly live. 

Beholding is becoming and dying is living. 

May we hold the cross up high. 

May we look and live! 

(I would be remiss if I didn't mention a fantastic book that has been a huge encouragement to my heart as I continue to learn what it means to truly fix my eyes on the cross. Matt Papa's "Look and Live" is worth every minute of your time and all the ink you'll use up from all the underlining you'll do!) 

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