The Cross and Self, by A.W. Pink.

Описание: The Cross and Self, by A.W. Pink.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
— Matthew 16:24

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

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
— Matthew 10:38-39

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. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
— Mark 8:34-38

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
— Romans 8:13

Ere developing the theme of this verse let us comment on its terms. “If any”: the duty enjoined is for all who would join Christ’s followers and enlist under His banner. “If any will”: the Greek is very emphatic, signifying not only the consent of the will, but full purpose of heart, a determined resolution. “Come after Me”: as a servant subject to his Master, a scholar his Teacher, a soldier his Captain. “Deny”: the Greek means “deny utterly.” Deny himself: his sinful and corrupt nature. “And take up”: not passively bear or endure, but voluntarily assume, actively adopt. “His cross”: which is scorned by the world, hated by the flesh, but is the distinguishing mark of a real Christian. “And follow Me”: live as Christ lived— to the glory of God.

The immediate context is most solemn and striking. The Lord Jesus has just announced to His apostles, for the first time, His approaching death of humiliation (v. 21). Peter was staggered, and said, “Pity Thyself, Lord” (v. 22 mar.). That expressed the policy of the carnal mind. The way of the world is self-seeking and self-shielding. “Spare thyself” is the sum of its philosophy. But the doctrine of Christ is not “save thyself” but sacrifice thyself. Christ discerned in Peter’s counsel a temptation from Satan (v. 23), and at once flung it from Him. Then turning to Peter, He said: Not only “must” Jesus go up to Jerusalem and die, but everyone who would be a follower of His must take up his cross (v. 24). The “must” is as imperative in the one case as in the other. Mediatorially the cross of Christ stands alone, but experimentally it is shared by all who enter into life.

What is a “Christian”? One who holds membership in some earthly church? No. One who believes an orthodox creed? No. One who adopts a certain mode of conduct? No. What, then, is a Christian? He is one who has renounced self and received Christ Jesus as Lord (Col. 2:6). He is one who takes Christ’s yoke upon him and learns of Him who is “meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). He is one who has been “called unto the fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9): fellowship in His obedience and suffering now, in His reward and glory in the endless future. There is no such thing as belonging to Christ and living to please self. Make no mistake on that point “Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:27) said Christ. And again He declared, “But whosoever shall [instead of denying himself] deny Me before men [not “unto” men: it is conduct, the walk which is here in view], him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).

The Christian life begins with an act of self-renunciation, and is continued by self-mortification (Rom. 8:13). The first question of Saul of Tarsus, when Christ apprehended him, was, “Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?” The Christian life is likened unto a “race,” and the racer is called upon to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset” (Heb. 12:2), which “sin” is in the love of self, the desire and determination to have our “own way” (Isa. 53:6). The one great aim, end, task, set before the Christian is to follow Christ -to follow the example He has left us (1 Pet. 2:21), and He “pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:3). And there are difficulties in the way, obstacles in the path, the chief of which is self. Therefore this must be “denied.” This is the first step toward “following” Christ.

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