St Matthew, Chapter 16, verse 26a, The Cross of Man: The Soul!

Our paragraph topic is: (The doctrine of the cross) Part 3.    

No one knew what came after death.  There was no certainty.  The Jews believed that they were God's chosen people and that he had prepared a special place for them.  But no one knew for certain what they would encounter after death.  Everyone wanted to live.  Everyone wanted to have life.  Everyone did not want to face the consequences of what would happen after they died.  And yet here was Christ preaching to his disciples the outcome of his journey to Jerusalem.  Here was the Messiah telling his disciples that he would go and face persecution, torture, and death.  And nothing but fear came upon them.

They knew not what to expect.  They knew not what was to happen.  They knew not the why and wherefore of these actions.  But Christ instructed them to follow.  Take up your cross and follow me if you want to come after me, he told them.  Face the evil in the world and fear not, he told them.  For whoever would work to save his life in this realm will loose it and whoever would loose his life in this physical realm, for his sake, would save it in the spiritual realm and save it for eternity.  Where is it that we place our value?  Is it in the physical realm?  Or is it in the spiritual realm that we value ourselves.  Christ told his disciples:  "For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?"    

We are told and we believe that we have a soul.  We hear it in church.  We read about it in the Bible.  We see it in our entertainment media.  And we believe it in ourselves.  But of what value is it?  How does it profit us to have a soul?  What can we do with it?  How does it help us or hinder us as we live, grow, and prosper in this world?  Those of us who are youthful do not consider this value.  Those of who are older think about its value.  Those of us who are declining in age know of its value as we look forward to what comes after death.  For we believe that the soul exists.  Yet Christ posed a meaningful question to his disciples and to members of the church today: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul?"  

And it is this meaningful question that weighs in the balance each and everyday of our lives.  Do our actions, our thoughts, and our beliefs gain us the world or gains us our souls?  Do we act as if we want to gain everything in the world or do we want to keep our souls?  Do we want our souls to profit or do we want our passions for the world to profit?  Do we attempt to sit on the fence and fish from both sides or are we certain that we know on which side we want to jump into?  The world wants us to live in it and to prosper in it.  The world would have us loose ourselves and our souls in it that we may prosper in worldly things.  The world would have us addicted to our passions and criticize us if we are not fully engaged in them. 

To laugh, to enjoy, to be hopeful, to be passionate about the prospects of today and what tomorrow has to offer is how we are raised and live.  Forgetting about when the thief in the night that may come to  steal us away from our souls without the opportunity to repent, is not something that the world wants us to consider.  We make every effort to protect ourselves from death but it comes despite all our efforts.  It comes to the young.  It comes to the old.  It comes to the innocent.  It comes to the unexpected.  It comes.  For it is the soul that the world is after and nothing less. 

What does it profit?  What do we gain?  How do we value what we have, how do we value what is given us from birth?  We are raised in the world with the love and are given the hopes and fears of our parents and care givers.  And when we come of age we are filled with the desires and passions of the world.  So we go forth seeking to gain all that it has to offer and to enjoy all the passions that it brings, not knowing or believing that we are asleep in the world.  Some are awaken by the struggles that life in the world brings.  Some continue to struggle in the passions that this world has to offer.  And some face the question of life and decide to give up on it not knowing that they have a choice. 

We are aliens in a different form and do not know who we are.  Come!  The opportunity is given you to know the truth of who you are.  Come!  Opportunity knocks at your door, bringing truth, and joy, and peace, and love with it.  Your life, your soul, is valuable.  Do not sell it for something less.  Do not offer it for what the world offers for it is worth much more.  Do not exchange it for the trinkets and treasures of this world for they are worthless.  What will it profit you?  You can know, now, the truth of who you are.  You can see the life that is given you.  You can know the light of your spirit here on earth as it was given to you.  Come!  Follow the path set before you and know the truth of who you are in Christ.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in! 

St Matthew, Cahpter 16, verse 24, The Cross of Man: Death!:

Our paragraph topic is:  (The doctrine of the cross) Part 1.   

Christ rebuked Satan in his attempt to thwart the will of God.  Now it was time to rebuke man and instruct him as to God's will for all mankind.  Christ came that man could have life.  Christ came that man would no longer suffer the fate of judgement.  Christ came that man would be lifted up from the judgement of sin and restored to sanctification through his sacrifice.  And Christ came to cancel the actions wrought by Satan in deceiving Eve and Adam to go against the will of God.  For God declared that disobedience would bring death to man.  And death, which did not exist before, entered the world through that disobedience.

And when time was fulfilled Christ gave up his heavenly throne and became man.  He gave up all his power and glory and majesty so that man may be redeemed.  He became a pauper instead of a rich man.  But this transformation was not enough.  There had to be temptation by Satan.  There had to be torture by evil.  There had to be torment by the minions.  There had to be morning and weeping and pain.  And finally there had to be death. 

And this was the example set by Christ as to the path of sanctification and glorification through him.  Man must suffer.  Man must be tempted.  Man must have pain, and morning, and weeping and finally death.  Man must have his cross.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Follow me, he told his disciples and the people around him.  He gave them the path to follow.  He gave them directions.  He showed them the way.  Take up your cross.  Deny yourself.  Follow me, he told them.  He spoke to them then, just the same as his words tells us today.  Deny yourself!  Deny myself is not what most want to hear today.  For there is so much for us to have.  There is so much for us to want.  There is so much for us to see, do experience, to live, to enjoy in this life, in this world.  Why then should we deny myself?  Why then should we give up having all that is for us to have, simply because Christ said to do so some two thousand years ago? 

We live in a world where all pleasure and desire is placed at our feet if we just seek it.  We are led to believe that simply by our hard work, devotion to the principles of this world, that we can have all that we desire.  For, there are ample examples of those who have made it in this world and live a life of joy and pleasure.  Or so we are told and led to believe.  And death awaits us all.  Death stands by in the shadows waiting for the opportunity to steal us away from this good life. 

We live our lives in fear of death.  We live our lives attempting to protect ourselves from the uncertainty of death.  With enough wealth we can have the right doctors, lawyers, and specialists that will keep us alive and healthy to enjoy the potential of the good life.  Non would seek to conquer death.  Non would seek to challenge death.  Non would enjoy the prospects of what death brings for fear of loosing the potential of the good life here on this rock.  And yet this is what Christ instructed us to do.  Take up your cross!  Take up your death and embrace it with joy!  For it is through death that we are transformed.  Christ gave us that belief, that certainty, through his resurrection.  For through him we have life.  Through his sacrifice, through his death, and through his resurrection, we have life eternal.

Follow the example.  Take up your death and embrace it.  Take up your cross and enjoy its meaning.  For through it and with it one comes home to the Father.  Through the cross one has life and life eternal.  Through death, the cross, the love of the Father awaits all who follow Christ in this life.  He awaits your decision.  He awaits your choice, for the choice is yours.  Choose the world or choose Christ.  Choose life or choose death.  Choose eternal joy and happiness or choose suffering and eternal damnation.  The choice is yours.  Come!  Follow the path set before you.  You have come this far to this point in reading this message.  Take the next step and know the truth of who you are in Christ.  If you think that the world has joys and pleasures to offer, come know the eternal joy and peace in Christ.  Christ, your savior awaits.  The Holy Spirit will be your guide and counselor. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ. The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in!