Luke 14:27 (KJV): And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
What does this scripture mean when it says to bear your cross for the LORD? I’ll tell you what I think it means…I believe GOD is asking us: are you ready to be brutally honest with others about the Gospel? When I say brutal, I mean painfully honest. Are you ready to tell the WHOLE TRUTH and NOTHING but the TRUTH? It will be brutal and painful. The WHOLE truth of the Gospel always is…
It is like when you are in a pitch black room devoid of light and someone opens the door wide and bright light comes bursting in—your eyes suddenly dilate to accommodate the light and you might cover your eyes and you feel pain—physical pain as your eyes change to allow more light in. We also experience a dilating of our spirit when the HOLY SPIRIT is invited in and HE begins to show us our faults and fleshly misleadings. But after the light goes on and you are able to bear it—then suddenly you see all the pitfalls and objects you would have tripped over if you would have stayed in the darkness.
GOD uses all sorts of tools to “sanctify” us—clean you up: HE uses the Word: Ephesians 5:26: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
GOD uses experiences: witnessing miracles and spiritual gifts in yourself and others.
GOD uses us to witness to others and that is what I am talking about now—HE uses us to be BRUTALLY HONEST with those who are dying—even perishing from lack of the TRUTH.
Does the Word have to be brutal and painful? Well it does if the person is going to be whole and healthy spiritually which leads to a whole and healthy physical being ultimately.
So if you are going to be in GOD’s Will and sharing your faith—the WHOLE TRUTH: you need to get ready because this is where bearing your cross comes in. You will lose friends because they don’t want to hear the Gospel and be with someone who wants to pursue GOD. Friends and family will persecute you because they don’t want to hear the GOSPEL so it’s easier to kill the messenger and to discredit the messenger. This is nothing new—CHRIST was abandoned on HIS cross—very few stood by HIM. Eleven of HIS closest disciples abandoned HIM at HIS darkest moment on earth.
Many want to give a watered-down version of the Gospel—only giving the pleasant things in the Bible—but the soft scrub doesn’t always clean the deep filth that separates us from GOD—the ultimate goal. Here is why the path is so very narrow and few find it: the closer you get to GOD the more broken and remorseful over your sinful side you will become. Then when you share this truth with others you will become further broken down with the corresponding response you receive of abandonment at your very own cross. That is when you find the true “Disciple Johns” in your life who stay at your side despite what you are going through. That doesn’t mean you give up on the others who abandon you like the disciples who left CHRIST—OH NO—CHRIST forgave and pursued restoration with those who abandoned HIM and we must too—but we still have to carry our cross if we are ever going to get down the narrow path….
