I have been reading my Bible for over 35 years. Not now and then, but almost every day. I have read the statement by Jesus, “Take up your cross and follow Me”, more times than I can count. I thought I knew what it meant, until this morning the Lord revealed something I had never seen before.

The cross was where Jesus died for the sins of the world. His body was nailed to a cross because of sin. Romans 6:23 says, for the wages of sin is death. That means the cross is the place where we die. We all understand this if we believe in Jesus.

I am not Jesus, I am not being asked to die for the sins of the world, so what is this take up your cross comment all about? Reading Romans 6 this morning yielded the answer for me.

Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

Okay call me late to the party, but to take up your cross and follow Jesus is to die to sin and live for God. Once we die to sin, sin no longer has dominion over us, for we are dead to it. But we are fully alive to God, so now we do not obey sin, but we obey God.

This is huge, for Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) The invitation is not to stop dreaming, but to stop sinning; it’s not to stop desiring, it’s to realize sin does not have dominion over you.

The abundant life is truly found in denying ourself (flesh), taking up our cross (dying to sin) and following Him (obedience to His word). Then Paul says it best this way, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, the abundant life.” (Romans 6:23) It’s time to die to sin so we can truly live for God and each other. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org