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THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS.
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1Cor. 1:18).
As we see, there are the perishing and the saved in the Christian world. Difference one from another consists in respect of that and the others to the Message of the cross. For it is foolishness to one, but it is power to others. Let's thinking what is the Message of the cross, and what is it to us? Is it Power? But may be is it foolishness? Our life depends on that, whom we are shown - saved or perishing after all/.
"But what can be the questions? After all we are the Christians, believers, - can object you. - We follow Christ, but therefore we are saved!" But what said Christ?
" Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me". Matth.10: 38 "And who does not carry his cross and follow me, can not be my disciple" Luke 14:27. Large crowd followed Christ in that time. Large crowd has followed Him for two last millenniums. Lard crowd follows Him today. There are you and we amongst them. Therefore, these words of Christ are turned to us. To us is in the first turn, because we live today, and have still a time. We have a time to check our way that our life in Christ wont be in vain but we will be worthy of Christ. What must we do that our way can be worthy of Christ?
«And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me». Mark 8:34
«If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. «Luke 14:26-27
"So likewise, whosoever he is of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33
Whosoever will come after Me:
· deny yourself
· take up his cross
· follow me
If we follow Christ, but were not denied yourself and did not take up His cross - our following be in vain. Deny yourself means to acknowledge senselessness our life on this earth, acknowledge all futility of any attempts to be saved, acknowledge yourself weakness, acknowledge yourself inevitably are going into the hell. For that, whose life is lost and approaches to the ruin, for that, beside who really have nothing, for such believers JESUS CHRIST is the only way to the salvation. Those people really need in Jesus Christ, who did not have any others hopes in this life. Only for such! But if a believer likes to live on this earth, has a sense in this life, builds some plans, he need not in Jesus Christ. So, if our salvation is in any other things, than Gods living we need not in Christ. If we have something in this life, some support or hope, we are not worthy of His!
Lets thinking what is that means to take up a Cross? Cross is an instrument of executions. When Jesus was carrying a cross, He was already sentenced to the crucifixion. As well as before that, when he has preaching, teaching and healing, Jesus had carrying this sentence for all His life; because knew, for what He was given birth and for what came to this world. To carry a cross means constantly have the sentence of death in us. Such condition has to be in our life constantly.
«But we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead". 2Corinth. 1:9
«For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death» 1 Corinth. 4:9
«For us which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." 2Corinth. 4:11-12
Jesus knew that the Cross, sufferings, spittles and beating was waiting for Him. That was to be not from someone else, but from their own people, which did not recognize and betrayed Him. He knew, for what He was given birth and for what He came to this world. Do you know about this, as a believer is introducing His Name? Do you carry on his cross, going for Christ; has you rejected yourself? May be your following Him depends on two or three times a week when you visit a church, but after meeting to sink into this world with its troubles and vanity? Troubles and vanity are born at man, who find any light in this world. But who sees a light in this world, cannot see a light in the God, Which be the True Light. There is such law in nature: grain, falling into the land, dies, but through this brings much fruit. Unless die is not will have life, such is the law. If go to death God shell give the life. Doomed to death has nothing sweetly and terrible in this life, his light is only in God and His way. And this light is the power and the life in Him. But that man, who keeps clinging to some hope in this life, even being a believer man, cannot really believe. For that man is the message of the cross, the suffering and death for the sake of Christ is foolishness. "Christ already suffered for us, for what do we suffer? Lets believe in Him and rejoice!" that says a man who is deceived yourself and the others, forgetting that you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake Philip 1:29. There are our life, our fire, and our power in this! As often happens to Christian, who cannot raise the voice for the truth, because of mens opinion and worrying for his own authority. Not speaking about to go to death This shows that exactly is the true value for him. Person according to the nature is a sin, and if does not reject himself constantly, will ever have Gods life and power in himself. The old fleshly habits and lusts invisibly will possess him, producing sin and death, but wont be power to fight. The Christians who avoid the sufferings for the sake of Christ, and His truth, are doom themselves to be - lukewarm, spiritual sleeping, indifferent to the Gods Word. Their part is known. So let's finally be alert and self controlled, and without deceit and fear look at our hearts; let us having seen themselves unworthy, do deny ourselves, do take finally His cross and do follow His way from this vanity and corruptible earth, through the Calvary, to the Heaven!
K. Kuznetsova.
У меня большая просьба к русскоговорящим верующим, знающим английский язык на уровне литературного перевода и могущих мне помочь найти ошибки, которые искажают смысл сказанного. Если есть такие люди я буду благодарна за помощь, если нужно я могу выслать оригинал на русском.
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1Cor. 1:18).
As we see, there are the perishing and the saved in the Christian world. Difference one from another consists in respect of that and the others to the Message of the cross. For it is foolishness to one, but it is power to others. Let's thinking what is the Message of the cross, and what is it to us? Is it Power? But may be is it foolishness? Our life depends on that, whom we are shown - saved or perishing after all/.
"But what can be the questions? After all we are the Christians, believers, - can object you. - We follow Christ, but therefore we are saved!" But what said Christ?
" Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me". Matth.10: 38 "And who does not carry his cross and follow me, can not be my disciple" Luke 14:27. Large crowd followed Christ in that time. Large crowd has followed Him for two last millenniums. Lard crowd follows Him today. There are you and we amongst them. Therefore, these words of Christ are turned to us. To us is in the first turn, because we live today, and have still a time. We have a time to check our way that our life in Christ wont be in vain but we will be worthy of Christ. What must we do that our way can be worthy of Christ?
«And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me». Mark 8:34
«If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. «Luke 14:26-27
"So likewise, whosoever he is of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33
Whosoever will come after Me:
· deny yourself
· take up his cross
· follow me
If we follow Christ, but were not denied yourself and did not take up His cross - our following be in vain. Deny yourself means to acknowledge senselessness our life on this earth, acknowledge all futility of any attempts to be saved, acknowledge yourself weakness, acknowledge yourself inevitably are going into the hell. For that, whose life is lost and approaches to the ruin, for that, beside who really have nothing, for such believers JESUS CHRIST is the only way to the salvation. Those people really need in Jesus Christ, who did not have any others hopes in this life. Only for such! But if a believer likes to live on this earth, has a sense in this life, builds some plans, he need not in Jesus Christ. So, if our salvation is in any other things, than Gods living we need not in Christ. If we have something in this life, some support or hope, we are not worthy of His!
Lets thinking what is that means to take up a Cross? Cross is an instrument of executions. When Jesus was carrying a cross, He was already sentenced to the crucifixion. As well as before that, when he has preaching, teaching and healing, Jesus had carrying this sentence for all His life; because knew, for what He was given birth and for what came to this world. To carry a cross means constantly have the sentence of death in us. Such condition has to be in our life constantly.
«But we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead". 2Corinth. 1:9
«For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death» 1 Corinth. 4:9
«For us which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." 2Corinth. 4:11-12
Jesus knew that the Cross, sufferings, spittles and beating was waiting for Him. That was to be not from someone else, but from their own people, which did not recognize and betrayed Him. He knew, for what He was given birth and for what He came to this world. Do you know about this, as a believer is introducing His Name? Do you carry on his cross, going for Christ; has you rejected yourself? May be your following Him depends on two or three times a week when you visit a church, but after meeting to sink into this world with its troubles and vanity? Troubles and vanity are born at man, who find any light in this world. But who sees a light in this world, cannot see a light in the God, Which be the True Light. There is such law in nature: grain, falling into the land, dies, but through this brings much fruit. Unless die is not will have life, such is the law. If go to death God shell give the life. Doomed to death has nothing sweetly and terrible in this life, his light is only in God and His way. And this light is the power and the life in Him. But that man, who keeps clinging to some hope in this life, even being a believer man, cannot really believe. For that man is the message of the cross, the suffering and death for the sake of Christ is foolishness. "Christ already suffered for us, for what do we suffer? Lets believe in Him and rejoice!" that says a man who is deceived yourself and the others, forgetting that you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake Philip 1:29. There are our life, our fire, and our power in this! As often happens to Christian, who cannot raise the voice for the truth, because of mens opinion and worrying for his own authority. Not speaking about to go to death This shows that exactly is the true value for him. Person according to the nature is a sin, and if does not reject himself constantly, will ever have Gods life and power in himself. The old fleshly habits and lusts invisibly will possess him, producing sin and death, but wont be power to fight. The Christians who avoid the sufferings for the sake of Christ, and His truth, are doom themselves to be - lukewarm, spiritual sleeping, indifferent to the Gods Word. Their part is known. So let's finally be alert and self controlled, and without deceit and fear look at our hearts; let us having seen themselves unworthy, do deny ourselves, do take finally His cross and do follow His way from this vanity and corruptible earth, through the Calvary, to the Heaven!
K. Kuznetsova.
У меня большая просьба к русскоговорящим верующим, знающим английский язык на уровне литературного перевода и могущих мне помочь найти ошибки, которые искажают смысл сказанного. Если есть такие люди я буду благодарна за помощь, если нужно я могу выслать оригинал на русском.