Theology of False Crosses

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Most of us who are quite familiar with “church-speak” have heard the phrase “take up your cross” many times. But what does this really mean to modern-day Christians? And, most importantly, what does JESUS mean when He tells us to take up our cross daily?

If you ask most American Christians today, they think they are “taking up their cross” every time they head to the voting booth. They take up their cross every time their cashier at Wal-Mart says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” From the liberal media bias to the bum on the street corner fouling up their neighborhood, American Christians believe wholeheartedly that they have so many crosses to bear.

But is this what Jesus meant when He said we are to take up our cross daily? What does the cross of Christ truly represent?

This Truth can be found in the context of the preceding verse in Luke chapter 9:

Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luk 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Luk 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

What does it mean to take up the cross of Christ? According to the verses above, taking up His cross directly relates to proclaiming (and living out!) His Words….His teachings…..His True Gospel!

What Jesus is trying to tell us here in these verses is that if we truly take up our cross daily, we’re going to suffer the same things He did. If we truly proclaim His radical, life-giving Gospel, we’re going to be rejected by the religious leaders of OUR day. We’re going to be subjected to scorn, ridicule, and for some…even death. How many times did Jesus warn us in the Gospels that the Truth is a double-edged sword, dividing us from family and friends?

But you see, the True Gospel is much too radical for most modern-day “Christians.” So to remedy that, they water-down and twist the Words of Christ, much like Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden.

“Did Jesus REALLY mean that we should give to all who ask of us? Surely not! For we must be good stewards. What He REALLY meant was…”

“Did Jesus REALLY mean that we should give even more to those who steal from us? Surely not! For we must render justice. What He REALLY meant was…”

“Did Jesus REALLY mean that we should love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us? Surely not! For we must fight for our rights and defend, by violent force if necessary, whichever nation we are born into. What He REALLY meant was…”

“Did Jesus REALLY mean that His Kingdom is not an earthly one? Surely not! We live in the United States and He wants us to make ‘Christian’ laws for people to follow! What He REALLY meant was…”

Sound familiar? Over and over again I see modern-day Christians stripping the radicalism from the very radical teachings of Jesus Christ, and turning them into something entirely sinister: The ways of the world. There is nothing special or new about these doctrines modern-day churches are touting. People are craving the TRUTH. They want real answers. But they can go to any atheist and come back with the same line of garbage that most churches are offering them these days.

And then these modern-day Christians sit there dumbfounded and wonder why Christianity isn’t growing like it did in the New Testament. It’s because you’re not teaching the same TRUTH that the Apostles taught! You’re not offering people the opportunity to know the REAL Jesus. The radical, non-conformist Jesus Who identified with the poor, the outcasts, and the least of society. You can’t tell people that they have to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior in order to be saved, and then turn around and tell them not to believe anything He had to say!

My friends, it is time for the true followers of Jesus Christ to take up our crosses. We must take the cross of the True Gospel, of course to the non-believers, but also to those within the churches who have been taught NOT to believe. And there, my brothers and sisters, is where you will make your enemies. Look to the Scriptures and see who hated Jesus the most. It was the religious men of His day, those who should’ve known that He was speaking the Truth! The non-believers gravitated to the True Gospel, but the self-righteous religionists hated Him so much that they sought for reasons to kill Him.

And it will be the same for us, just as Jesus warned. We will lose friends, family members will grow distant, and church “leaders” will look on you with hatred and spite. Because of their self-righteousness, they will convince themselves that you have backslidden, and maybe even add you to their prayer list. But do NOT be deceived.

I leave you with these words from the Apostle Paul:

1Co 16:13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong.


Junia Mark

disciple@perverted-christianity.com

http://www.perverted-christianity.com

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