take up your cross

NewCreation435

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23 "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

How do you take up your cross and follow him on a daily basis?
 

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By crucifying our wills for His.
 

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23 "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

How do you take up your cross and follow him on a daily basis?

I think this is the sort of thing that varies in nature from person to person, and for some it may be very easy even if only for a time.

Denying ourselves is the key to it. Sooner or later our will and God's will are going to be different, maybe very different. If we decide to go our own way we do the wrong thing. If we decide to go God's way we must deny ourselves something that we wanted to have, to do, or similar. Each person may have their own cross to bear - for some it may be celibacy, for others poverty, for others loneliness or rejection. Some might be called to leave an area they love and move somewhere else. Some might be called to share their home with strangers - maybe some kind of outreach to the homeless, maybe housing visitors to the area.

For as long as our will and God's will are reasonably well aligned the concept of taking up a cross can easily be lost. It isn't particularly difficult to go to church on a Sunday morning, put some money in the collection, share in a fellowship meal afterwards etc. It's hard to see how any part of that counts as "taking up a cross". Come Monday morning at work when your boss is best described using words guaranteed to get censored, you're fighting the urge to kick your coworkers into next week and your customers seem to be living proof of evolution starting from baboons and working backwards, the call to love them all is a lot more challenging.
 

MennoSota

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Severe beating of the body is of no value. To pick up the cross does not mean to beat ourselves into self-righteous holiness. It means that we recognize our rebellious, criminal condition which justly condemns us. We are sinners. We pick up all that sin and follow to Calvary where our sins are placed upon our Redeemer and we are pardoned.

Colossians 2:16-23 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
 

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Oh that Luke 9:23-26 and Matt 10:38-39 were preached every Sunday from the pulpits. Indeed this IS the "narrow way" and "few there be that find it." For the Way of the Cross requires diligence, repentance, righteous behavior and a "walk worthy" of such a calling to become "one with Christ as He is with the Father." (John 17:21)

The cross we must bear is death to our sin and self will. We must "crucify our Adamic nature with it's lusts and passions" on our own cross (Gal 5:24). Jesus bore His Cross and died upon it that He might be raised to Life by the Father. We must bear our cross and die upon it if we are to be raised as well to "newness of Life." (Rom 6:4) We must "by the Spirit put to death the deeds of our flesh" (Rom 8:13)

This is a real fight we are in (1Tim 6:12, 2Tim 2:3-5) Paul knew and taught that we must be faithful in our Journey, endure through hardships, and strive against sin at all costs, lest - after being saved and forgiven - we be "disqualified" because we have taken the Lord's salvation and forgiveness for granted, and "received His grace in vain." (2Cor 6:1)

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." - 1Cor 9:24-27

This calling, opportunity and privilege is not for the faint of heart, or those who wish to "save their life" from any sort of pain or discomfort to their human nature. So many desperately grab hold of any doctrine that tells them they can 'be as they are' and still be OK in God's sight because of what Jesus has done. No. If we do not "take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him."

May we be counted among those who are bearing our cross daily, denying our fleshly nature it's desires and passions, and walking after the Master.
Amen.
 

NewCreation435

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I think this is the sort of thing that varies in nature from person to person, and for some it may be very easy even if only for a time.

Denying ourselves is the key to it. Sooner or later our will and God's will are going to be different, maybe very different. If we decide to go our own way we do the wrong thing. If we decide to go God's way we must deny ourselves something that we wanted to have, to do, or similar. Each person may have their own cross to bear - for some it may be celibacy, for others poverty, for others loneliness or rejection. Some might be called to leave an area they love and move somewhere else. Some might be called to share their home with strangers - maybe some kind of outreach to the homeless, maybe housing visitors to the area.

For as long as our will and God's will are reasonably well aligned the concept of taking up a cross can easily be lost. It isn't particularly difficult to go to church on a Sunday morning, put some money in the collection, share in a fellowship meal afterwards etc. It's hard to see how any part of that counts as "taking up a cross". Come Monday morning at work when your boss is best described using words guaranteed to get censored, you're fighting the urge to kick your coworkers into next week and your customers seem to be living proof of evolution starting from baboons and working backwards, the call to love them all is a lot more challenging.

Well said
 

NewCreation435

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Oh that Luke 9:23-26 and Matt 10:38-39 were preached every Sunday from the pulpits. Indeed this IS the "narrow way" and "few there be that find it." For the Way of the Cross requires diligence, repentance, righteous behavior and a "walk worthy" of such a calling to become "one with Christ as He is with the Father." (John 17:21)

The cross we must bear is death to our sin and self will. We must "crucify our Adamic nature with it's lusts and passions" on our own cross (Gal 5:24). Jesus bore His Cross and died upon it that He might be raised to Life by the Father. We must bear our cross and die upon it if we are to be raised as well to "newness of Life." (Rom 6:4) We must "by the Spirit put to death the deeds of our flesh" (Rom 8:13)

This is a real fight we are in (1Tim 6:12, 2Tim 2:3-5) Paul knew and taught that we must be faithful in our Journey, endure through hardships, and strive against sin at all costs, lest - after being saved and forgiven - we be "disqualified" because we have taken the Lord's salvation and forgiveness for granted, and "received His grace in vain." (2Cor 6:1)

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." - 1Cor 9:24-27

This calling, opportunity and privilege is not for the faint of heart, or those who wish to "save their life" from any sort of pain or discomfort to their human nature. So many desperately grab hold of any doctrine that tells them they can 'be as they are' and still be OK in God's sight because of what Jesus has done. No. If we do not "take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him."

May we be counted among those who are bearing our cross daily, denying our fleshly nature it's desires and passions, and walking after the Master.
Amen.

I don't think it is a matter of just giving up something though that is part of it. It is replacing that impulse to say something or do something that is opposite of what God wants and doing something else instead. The early Christians were known for their love. I am sure they didn't always feel loving when they were losing their homes or being turned down for business or being excluded from events in society because of their beliefs. But, then chose to respond to others in love and mercy. If all we are doing in bearing down and neglecting our impulses that would seem to lead to resentment. Nature doesn't work well in a void. We have to replace some behavior with others. Replacing the fruit of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.

fruit of the flesh Galatians 5:19-21
19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."


Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
 

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I don't think it is a matter of just giving up something though that is part of it. It is replacing that impulse to say something or do something that is opposite of what God wants and doing something else instead. The early Christians were known for their love. I am sure they didn't always feel loving when they were losing their homes or being turned down for business or being excluded from events in society because of their beliefs. But, then chose to respond to others in love and mercy. If all we are doing in bearing down and neglecting our impulses that would seem to lead to resentment. Nature doesn't work well in a void. We have to replace some behavior with others. Replacing the fruit of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.

fruit of the flesh Galatians 5:19-21
19 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."


Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Scripture calls it the fruit of the Spirit. It does not say it's the efforts of man. The unsaved can attempt to mimic the Spirit's fruit, but it's not the fruit. A discerning Christian will recognize something is off.
God works to sanctify his children. God replaces our impulses and/or gives grace to us as we wrestle with our thorn in the flesh. Ultimately God knows we are His and He disciplines us so we might be made holy.
Hebrews 12:3-29 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
 

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"Our cross"...what does that mean? How does it differ from Jesus' cross?

"The cross Christ calls us to bear includes everything we endure because of our faithfulness to Christ and his Word."

"Carrying such crosses is not an option. It is not avoidable. And we can’t do it alone. The strength to bear our crosses comes only from Christ, who carried his cross up Calvary to die for us and for every sinner."

https://wels.net/dev-daily/dd20190719/
 

Josiah

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By crucifying our wills for His.

"Our cross"...what does that mean? How does it differ from Jesus' cross?

"The cross Christ calls us to bear includes everything we endure because of our faithfulness to Christ and his Word."

"Carrying such crosses is not an option. It is not avoidable. And we can’t do it alone. The strength to bear our crosses comes only from Christ, who carried his cross up Calvary to die for us and for every sinner."


... yup
 

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By crucifying our wills for His.

We call that reply a START, OK?

So what does it look like, this self-crucifixion of our own will, when, for instance, w read the Bible?


Arsenios
 

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Oh that Luke 9:23-26 and Matt 10:38-39 were preached every Sunday from the pulpits. Indeed this IS the "narrow way" and "few there be that find it." For the Way of the Cross requires diligence, repentance, righteous behavior and a "walk worthy" of such a calling to become "one with Christ as He is with the Father." (John 17:21)

The cross we must bear is death to our sin and self will. We must "crucify our Adamic nature with it's lusts and passions" on our own cross (Gal 5:24). Jesus bore His Cross and died upon it that He might be raised to Life by the Father. We must bear our cross and die upon it if we are to be raised as well to "newness of Life." (Rom 6:4) We must "by the Spirit put to death the deeds of our flesh" (Rom 8:13)

This is a real fight we are in (1Tim 6:12, 2Tim 2:3-5) Paul knew and taught that we must be faithful in our Journey, endure through hardships, and strive against sin at all costs, lest - after being saved and forgiven - we be "disqualified" because we have taken the Lord's salvation and forgiveness for granted, and "received His grace in vain." (2Cor 6:1)

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." - 1Cor 9:24-27

This calling, opportunity and privilege is not for the faint of heart, or those who wish to "save their life" from any sort of pain or discomfort to their human nature. So many desperately grab hold of any doctrine that tells them they can 'be as they are' and still be OK in God's sight because of what Jesus has done. No. If we do not "take up our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him."

May we be counted among those who are bearing our cross daily, denying our fleshly nature it's desires and passions, and walking after the Master.
Amen.

Good post...

The Greek reads:
IF ANYone IS WILLING,
AFTER ME TO BE COMING,
LET HIM FIRST DENY HIMSELF,
THEN TAKE UP HIS CROSS,
AND FOLLOW ME


It is worth reading line by line...

So HOW did Christ DO this?

There is one word that is CONSPICUOUS by its absence here...

It is the very MEANS of following Christ...

It is the very HEART of discipleship...

Anyone know what that word IS???


Arsenios
 

Arsenios

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The early Christians were known for their love.
I am sure they didn't always feel loving
when they were losing their homes
or being turned down for business
or being excluded from events in society
because of their beliefs.

Don't be so sure...

They walked gladly into the arena...
Bearing their suckling babes in their arms...
To be devoured alive by wild beasts...
With love and gratitude on their lips...

They honored in this the Sacrifice of our Lord...
And the sacrifices of those of Faith...
To Whom Paul referred in Hebrews 11...
Of Whom the world was not worthy...

For in the world you WILL find tribulation...
But the Peace that I give to you...
Is not of this world...


Arsenios
 

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"The cross Christ calls us to bear includes everything we endure because of our faithfulness to Christ and his Word."

"Carrying such crosses is not an option.
It is not avoidable.
And we can’t do it alone.

The strength to bear our crosses comes only from Christ,
who carried his cross up Calvary to die for us and for every sinner
."

The world runs from this cross...
As it runs from denial of self...
And the burden of this flight...
Is indeed heavy and oppressive...

But the very FIRST step is denial of self, yes?

What does that look like?


Arsenios
 

Josiah

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.

But the very FIRST step is denial of self, yes?


No. It's starts with God. It starts in the heart of God. But I suppose it could be said the first thing He does is humble us....
 

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No. It's starts with God. It starts in the heart of God. But I suppose it could be said the first thing He does is humble us....

Yes - A kind of given -

The Call of God is unto repentance...

So yes, it starts with God...

And repentance is denial of self, yes?

And whom God Calls, these He also Justifies, yes?

And whom He Justifies, these He also Glorifies, yes?

Yet the same pericope then points out:

For many are called and few are chosen...

How do you understand this last?


Arsenios
 

NewCreation435

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"Our cross"...what does that mean? How does it differ from Jesus' cross?

"The cross Christ calls us to bear includes everything we endure because of our faithfulness to Christ and his Word."

"Carrying such crosses is not an option. It is not avoidable. And we can’t do it alone. The strength to bear our crosses comes only from Christ, who carried his cross up Calvary to die for us and for every sinner."

https://wels.net/dev-daily/dd20190719/

yet, if you look at the way most believers live it would appear to be optional.
 

NewCreation435

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Scripture calls it the fruit of the Spirit. It does not say it's the efforts of man. The unsaved can attempt to mimic the Spirit's fruit, but it's not the fruit. A discerning Christian will recognize something is off.
God works to sanctify his children. God replaces our impulses and/or gives grace to us as we wrestle with our thorn in the flesh. Ultimately God knows we are His and He disciplines us so we might be made holy.
Hebrews 12:3-29 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Yet, we can resist the Spirit and even grieve the Spirit and disobey the word and become unfruitful. So, there is a part that man's will does play. Because if we are unwilling to yield to the spirit then it would not say that we should take up our cross and deny ourselves. We are not passive in our walk with Christ. Perhaps the best could be said is that our motivation for walking with Christ is different. It is not because we are fearful of hell, but because we have been saved and love by God.
And yes I would agree with you that it is called fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit is growing that fruit within us and it is being demonstrated in our lives. But, having had periods of my Christian life where I resisted God's will I know that I can and have grieved the Spirit of God before as have most believers.
 

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Yet, we can resist the Spirit and even grieve the Spirit and disobey the word and become unfruitful. So, there is a part that man's will does play. Because if we are unwilling to yield to the spirit then it would not say that we should take up our cross and deny ourselves. We are not passive in our walk with Christ. Perhaps the best could be said is that our motivation for walking with Christ is different. It is not because we are fearful of hell, but because we have been saved and love by God. And yes I would agree with you that it is called fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit is growing that fruit within us and it is being demonstrated in our lives. But, having had periods of my Christian life where I resisted God's will I know that I can and have grieved the Spirit of God before as have most believers.


If "we" in your post means "Christians" - those with the divine Gift of faith, the Holy Spirit, justification - as I suspect it does, then I not only fully agree with you but hold you make a very, very important point, critical to the discussion.
 

MennoSota

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Yet, we can resist the Spirit and even grieve the Spirit and disobey the word and become unfruitful. So, there is a part that man's will does play. Because if we are unwilling to yield to the spirit then it would not say that we should take up our cross and deny ourselves. We are not passive in our walk with Christ. Perhaps the best could be said is that our motivation for walking with Christ is different. It is not because we are fearful of hell, but because we have been saved and love by God.
And yes I would agree with you that it is called fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit is growing that fruit within us and it is being demonstrated in our lives. But, having had periods of my Christian life where I resisted God's will I know that I can and have grieved the Spirit of God before as have most believers.
Agreed. We can resist the work of the Spirit as we hang on to the sins that so easily entangle us. That does not stop God from sanctifying us, however.
My point is that we cannot buffet our own bodies to prove our selves righteous.
 
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