For the willing heart—with God, to dream is to achieve. The problem with most of us is that our dreams are not big enough. We are satisfied with the mediocre, the mundane—willing to muddle our way through life choosing comfort rather than the cross. I am speaking about spiritual things here. In God's Kingdom, the cross trumps comfort on any and every occasion when a choice is given.
Yours in the eternal bonds of Calvary,
To be Christlike is the ultimate sign of Kingdom success, and Christ was a man of the Cross for all seasons. Nothing cushy about His choices. He took the road less traveled—the one strewn with obstacles and battles to be fought all along the path; yet, He never faltered or gave up hope. Facing the cross, His prayer was: "Father, not my will, but thine be done." In doing so, He not only sealed His fate but that of ours also. Thus, we are compelled daily to take up our cross and follow Him. Not a cross that we have fashioned; mind you, but one that God the Father has constructed. That cross—both His and ours, was designed with us in mind. His for salvation, ours to work out His sanctification in us. Thus, we can say that,
Properly defined, sanctification is that process of being set apart for God's work to be conformed to the image of Christ. This conforming to Christ involves the work of the person, but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified (Phil. 2:13). Sanctification is not instantaneous because it is not the work of God alone. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (Gal. 5:22-23). (Ref: CARM)
This is the work of the cross: His and ours. Therefore, we must not shun either; for both are ours to embrace.
Pray, tell me, where is the lasting evidence of something you learned from pleasure? Now, ask yourself the same concerning the hard knocks of life, the crosses, the times of difficulty. Those are the seminal moment that mold and shape us in life for the better—is it not so? The good man, the wise man, realizes that and embraces those moments. This, bear in mind, is not spiritual masochism; it is spiritual realism—that is, it is the purpose of the cross; again, ours and His to be precise.
Thus, we read that—
“When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered He uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:23).”
And that, when—
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth ( Is. 53:7).”
Why? The answer is simple yet loaded with spiritual insight. He embraced the Cross. He embraced his destiny.
So, must we.
The problem, in my opinion, with much of Protestant and Evangelical theology, particularly that of the Charismatics is that they have not developed a sensible theology of the Cross. Theirs is a cushy cross; a cross cushioned with pads of comfort. Hard times are seen as Godly punishment, crosses to be avoided at all costs. They are a sign of the "lack of faith." Yet, biblical faith teaches just the opposite. That they fail to see; however, or embrace.
When difficult times come, they have shouted away in a torrent of fleshly exuberance which is passed off as worship. A shout here, and a shout there, with a few positive confessions, negates the purpose of the test— that is, the remedial effects of the cross . . . again both His and ours. Thereby, it strips life of its most valuable lessons. Romans 8:28-29 in which "all things work together for our good." Pray for healing? It does not come. Praise God anyway. Pray for financial acumen, it does not come. Praise God anyway. In any and all events He knows what is best for us. That which is temporary, keep in mind, is never in our best interest unless it serves His higher interest for us.
God's sovereignty reigns above all, including the Cross— both His and ours. God's will is supreme, cannot be altered, changed or modified. To oppose that Will is to invite ultimate shame and disaster. It is unalterable. Not because He is obstinate, but because He knows best.
Now, may God give us both the wisdom and the will to embrace these great truths.
Yours in the eternal bonds of Calvary,
JimR_/
