Matthew 10:38

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

While Jesus demands total loyalty and love from His people, He is also keenly aware that this narrow road of submission is fraught with the million obstacles placed there by our flesh. The inward cravings and alluring constantly make following Jesus a Herculean task. The real issues that plague our following Jesus are really not external to us, but innate desires that whisper a strange message to our pilgrim soul.

The cross is the symbol of death. Only those who carry the death of Jesus can put the Flesh to death. It is by identifying with the death of Jesus that the power of death is released to work on the power of the Flesh. We must carry the death of Christ, and we must apply the power of death on the Flesh daily. Without the cross that kills, we cannot follow Jesus because the Flesh will sabotage every good attempt at following Him. Death is beautiful when death is applied to our old nature, and because this nature is deceptive and tends to resurrect very frequently, death must be the symbol of following Jesus every day. Without death, there cannot be successful followership.

“O sweet cross of death, how can I dare live without the constant help of Your killing? I need the power of the cross to overcome the power of death that lurks within me. Your death, O Jesus overpowers me and brings death to my ugliness. Kill me, Jesus. Kill me daily. I need to die so that I may truly live. In Your name I know You’ll do this. Amen.”