Sunday 07:04:10

Love God. Love People. The Life of the Cross We have misunderstood the message of the cross if we think that the only thing that is asked of us is to say yes to God’s love. The longer you hang around the complete message of the cross, the more you find that it compels you to act. The cross compels us to respond in obedience and service that is rooted in love. Jesus didn’t just teach us to have a new private spiritual life. He showed us a new way of life altogether. He showed us how we are to live and interact with each other. You know about His death, but do you know how He lived? Does your life reflect how he lived? He taught us not to hate, worry, lust, be consumed with the things of this world. He taught us: Luke 9:23-25 23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Our lives should reflect the way Jesus lived. More than simply contemplating the work of Christ on the cross, we must also be students of Christ’s life and teaching. We can only mirror what we see. If we are not looking at Jesus, we’re not going to be able to act like Him. John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Philippians 2:1-8 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Move from the work of the cross to embracing the life of the cross, the life of loving God and loving people. As we do, we move from being people who don’t even look at Jesus, past being people who try to model Jesus, and become people through whom Jesus lives. John 14:23-24 23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. Love for Jesus leads to obedience. Are you living the life of the Cross? Does your Christian walk reflect knowing only the death of Christ and nothing of His life? We are not only saved by Christ, but are to follow Him.