Jesus voluntarily gave His life for us on the stake, demanding that His followers do the same by bearing their cross. He teaches in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Luke 9:23 emphasizes that we must take up our cross daily, making it an ongoing act. In Luke 14:27, Christ declares that if we are not bearing our cross daily, we are not His disciples. Bearing our cross means sacrificing the self, denying personal desires, and offering something precious for a greater purpose, just as Jesus sacrificed everything—His life, title, rank, privileges, comforts, security, and power. We are called to be living sacrifices, as Paul urges in Romans 12:1, imitating Christ by walking in His steps moment by moment, day by day. Bearing our cross involves relinquishing our rights and serving others, even in small, unnoticed ways, such as giving up conveniences or enduring burdens for the common good. It means resisting temptations and human nature's cries for instant gratification, whether in matters of materialism, gossip, or other desires. Carrying our cross also entails being prepared to suffer persecution and even die for Christ, as Jesus teaches in Luke 9:24 that whoever loses his life for His sake will save it. We must be mentally ready for such trials, praying for strength and conviction not to deny our Lord, while rejoicing in persecution for His sake, knowing great is our reward in heaven. The purpose of carrying our cross, despite its pain and risk, lies in sharing in Christ's suffering to share in His glory. By willingly conforming to His death and taking up the cross daily, we are promised eternal life, the privilege of being His brothers, and the honor of ruling with Him as co-heirs in His Father's Kingdom.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, instructs His followers to take up their cross, a metaphor symbolizing complete surrender and the encumbered life of a disciple. This concept, far beyond a physical icon, represents accounting ourselves as already dead to this world, entrusting our new lives to His care. He emphasizes the choice between clinging to former lives or letting go for the promise of eternal life, reminding us that worldly riches mean nothing without spiritual life. To follow Him, we must deny ourselves, renouncing any aspect of life not in subjection to Him, putting to death the works of the flesh, and purging the love of the world. Carrying our cross is a heavy burden by design, akin to bearing a thick and heavy piece of wood that hinders normal mobility. It reflects the struggle of our calling and conversion, making it impossible to walk as others do. This burden, tied to the carnal nature within us, fights for dominance, requiring us to crucify our old nature daily. Each morning, we must shoulder afresh the crossbeam, crucifying the flesh until our final breath, a routine that begins at baptism and persists throughout life. The carnal mind perceives God's commands as burdensome, resisting the behavioral limits set by His law. Yet, Jesus assures us that His yoke is easy and His burden light when we align with His strength. As we conform to His standard, internal conflict lessens, though external conflict with the world may arise due to His way of life offending others. Until we share the mind of the Lawgiver, our carnality will pressure us to ease our burdens by disregarding His instructions, a struggle that forms part of the cross we bear. The message of the cross embodies Christ's example of self-denial and losing His life for a greater purpose, a symbol of great personal cost. To those being saved, this message of total surrender—carrying whatever is placed upon us until we die—is the power of God. It reflects the ultimate power unleashed when Jesus surrendered completely, resulting in His resurrection and authority over all things. Our response to God, after being forgiven, must mirror this self-denial and complete surrender, reckoning ourselves dead to this present age so we might live for Him.

Bearing our cross, as followers of Christ, does not mean embracing a pagan symbol or the instrument of His death as an emblem of faith. The cross, long before it became associated with Christianity, was a tool of torture and shame, used to execute criminals in brutal ways. If Christ had been killed by another means, such as hanging or beheading, we would not parade a gallows or guillotine as a symbol of our belief. Instead, we must focus on the true meaning of His sacrifice, boasting only in what His death accomplished for our justification, not in any physical representation of the stake upon which He died. God calls us to worship Him in Spirit and truth, forsaking all false, pagan symbols and rituals, including the cross, which the devil has used to deceive the world. As we await the glorious return of our Savior, we must strive to be pure and holy, divesting ourselves of anything impure or unclean, so that His Bride, the true church, may be found without spot or wrinkle at His coming.

When Jesus Christ began His ministry, He sought disciples who could deny themselves and bear a cross, as He declares in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." This call to discipleship involves renouncing self-dependence and selfish pursuits, embracing the conditions God has appointed, and bearing the troubles and difficulties encountered on the Christian path. In Galatians 5:24, the apostle Paul reinforces this by stating, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." A Christian must take a firm stand against personal urges that contradict God's righteousness, walking Christ's path and shouldering the trials of living as a Christian in an ungodly world. Jesus further illustrates this principle in Mark 10:21, when He tells the rich young ruler, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." This command tests the willingness to forsake all, a requirement Jesus emphasizes in Luke 14:33, "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Though the context has shifted in modern times, God still seeks an attitude of readiness to give up everything for the Kingdom, even if He may not demand it fully. The proof of this willingness lies in our good works, demonstrating our commitment to bear our cross through actions that reflect sacrifice and care for others.

Bearing our cross requires denying oneself and following Jesus Christ daily, as stated when He said that if anyone desires to come after Him, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him. This command uses the cross symbolically as a stake representing self-denial and the loss of one's life for a greater purpose, just as Jesus Christ did. The practice means reckoning oneself as dead through ongoing self-denial so that one can follow the One who redeemed from the death penalty. It begins at baptism but continues until the final breath, with the need to lift the stake every morning to crucify the carnal nature and anything else God asks to be given up. This daily action affirms that lives belong to the Redeemer rather than to self-direction. It demands choosing between Jesus Christ and anything that interferes with following Him, even if those things are not sinful by themselves. The commitment made at baptism includes this life of self-denial and complete self-sacrifice, and regular evaluation determines whether that life remains truly desired or whether the heart turns away. Yielding to this process allows God to shape the vessel according to His purpose rather than personal resistance.