“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. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” -Matthew 16:24-25

A cross is not meant to be a weight, or merely an exercise in holiness.

A cross is for crucifixion, and he that is to bear his cross is to bear it with the intent to die to himself.

It is not meant to weigh down, but to free. It is not meant to enslave, but to liberate.

Why would you only carry your cross to make both your body and soul miserable - your body, because its lingering lusts still twitch in selfishness; your soul, because it cannot obtain the victory of resurrection that comes after crucifixion.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” -Romans 6:5-6

You will feel better when you’re dead.

Think not that I speak of physical death, but of a death of your fleshly life, and its accompanying desires. A death of the lusts of the flesh, which make a continual warring against the Spirit.

“For he that is dead is freed from sin.” -Romans 6:7

“Where you have a misplace in trust, you will have a misstep in life.” (from Tears from a Lonely God - Chapter Fifteen: Armor of Light.)

As Christians, God will chastise us when we go astray so that we will learn to trust in Him. So if we begin to walk down a path that isn’t good, sooner or later, God will show us the error of our ways, and correct us. God is at His most loving and most merciful when He brings swift and timely correction: in this life rather than in the next.

But to the unbelievers, this isn’t always the case. Those that are walking in their own desires, and don’t even know God or His Son Jesus, their “correction” comes much too late: after death, when they are judged.

If they walk in a hurtful or wrong way in this life, God may punish them, but He also may not. What would they learn? They are as the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, who has rebelled against his father, and lives in the excesses of his own lusts. Yet, though the ungodly appear unchecked and unrestrained, God surely has justice with such sinners: though it is at this time hidden from man’s eyes. For the unbelieving, judgment and justice is served after death:

“For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” -Psalm 73:3-19

“I poured out My life unto death, even the death of the cross: all so that you would be delivered from the way of life that you now chose to live.” (from Tears from a Lonely God - Chapter Fifteen: Armor of Light.)

I believe that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was much more than just deliverance from hell. I believe it wasn’t just freedom from sin, but also, freedom from sins. That is, freedom from specific sins, and specific vices - whatever they may be in your life.

Jesus’ atonement for our sins wasn’t just fire insurance against hell, it was also the way for man to be reconciled to God, and thereby receive His Holy Spirit, and be empowered to live a holy life.

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” -Ezekiel 36:26-27

Was not mankind in need of a savior because we had fallen into sin? And if Jesus has paid this price with His very own blood, don’t you think we ought to further conduct our lives very soberly, realizing the great sacrifice that was required to pay for our sins? Don’t you think we ought to refrain, as much as we can, from any and all evils in our life, seeing that it has cost God so dearly to give us this marvelous grace in the first place?

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” -Romans 6:1-4