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A friend addressed me about picking up the cross, then crossed my mind: Is picking up the cross work or a labor of Love.
Trouble is the question could also be: Is picking up the cross labour or a work of Love. Though I prefer the first question as work is more associated with works of the Law (except for James). Also picking up your cross is not about proving yourself righteous since the reason we do is because we are sinners. Having fellowship in the sufferings and death of Christ frees us from our sin, dying to all that is not of God. There is difference between forgiven and overcoming and we need to know we are loved as we are before we can be motivated to change out of Love. The Languages are confused until we walk in Love. Until then words like labourer and worker could divide us, our weapons could end up fighting one another, saying the same thing differently. We will only be united by the Holy Spirit. The work is not about proving ourselves righteous. "It's no longer I that lives but Christ," this will not change, without the Holy Spirit we don't have a life. The work is walking in the light we have to get more light, but as soon as we think we can prove ourselves righteous we are deceiving ourselves and will fall. By the works of the Law shall no man be justified in His sight. rather "Pride goes before the fall."
Trouble is the question could also be: Is picking up the cross labour or a work of Love. Though I prefer the first question as work is more associated with works of the Law (except for James). Also picking up your cross is not about proving yourself righteous since the reason we do is because we are sinners. Having fellowship in the sufferings and death of Christ frees us from our sin, dying to all that is not of God. There is difference between forgiven and overcoming and we need to know we are loved as we are before we can be motivated to change out of Love. The Languages are confused until we walk in Love. Until then words like labourer and worker could divide us, our weapons could end up fighting one another, saying the same thing differently. We will only be united by the Holy Spirit. The work is not about proving ourselves righteous. "It's no longer I that lives but Christ," this will not change, without the Holy Spirit we don't have a life. The work is walking in the light we have to get more light, but as soon as we think we can prove ourselves righteous we are deceiving ourselves and will fall. By the works of the Law shall no man be justified in His sight. rather "Pride goes before the fall."
Also, work is work. Period. The question is, are your works being done to save yourself, or because you are saved? This isn't about the work itself. This is about WHY you are working, or trying to work as in the case of the unbeliever. That is what the church does not get. It's about HOW you're hoping to be justified, not about if you're doing works or not. Works are a required part of salvation because that's what follows the person who has been justified by faith in the forgiveness and love of God in Christ. Works being required doesn't have to only mean you earn salvation that way. It can also mean they are required because that's what people who have faith in Christ do. And if you're not doing them that you may not be forgiven in Christ at all.
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