Cross BEFORE Crown
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22
	Well, that certainly lessens the numbers, doesn't it? I ask you, how many of us are truly willing to be hated of our fellow man? Not many! We are so afraid of being "disliked", of being politically incorrect, of being "out of step" with this world, of having to endure something. No wonder so many are not only falling by the wayside, but not hearing the truth of the message of Salvation--we want to be popular and well-thought of by all mankind.
Folks, the message of Salvation is not a popular message. Oh, many try to make it so by watering it down and giving it the old "atta-boy" treatment: "You don't have to give up anything--just sign this book and shake my hand. You're ok, just the way you are." Please understand something very important: when we accept Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to turn AWAY from the things of this world. We are to NO longer partake of sin and that which is in opposition to the Will of God. And that's when the message of Salvation gets unpopular: no one wants to have to "endure" the unpopularity of being set apart from the sin of this world.
	...Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:22-32.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. James 1:12-16.
	How is it we are tempted? When we are drawn away of our own lust: wanting those things which are not of God, but of the world. And when we give in to those temptations, we sin. And sin brings death. Death? Yes, spiritual death. Sin separates us from God and when we are separated from God, we are spirtually dead! Like it or not, there it is. For those who want the accolades of their friends more than enduring this race for the crown of life, there is a choice that must be then made. When we give up bearing the cross of Christian living (which includes resistance against caving in to temptation), we give up the crown of life that awaits those who have endured. The Word of God says, ...he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10:22.
Even in the dictionary, cross comes before crown. Before we can gain the crown, we must bear the cross. But folks aren't willing to do that--they don't want to pay the cost. All over this medium of the internet, I can find places to "purchase" any degree I want. I don't have to ever darken the door of any college or university; I don't have to ever be torn between partying with my friends or going home to study for the next day's final. I don't have develop squint lines as I ponder huge volumes of literature or science in order to learn. I don't have to sacrifice anything--no crosses for me! I can get the crown without the cross! Wrong-O!
	For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. Luke 12:2,3. A cross that one bears might be an on-going burden for the lost; for another it might be a trial or tribulation to endure, such as mockery of their efforts for Christ, or even persecution for their ministry. I've heard people say, "You need to come down off that cross," or "You need to give up that cross." I say to you, Don't let anyone talk you out of your cross. Don't allow anyone or anything to deter you from that which you have been called to do for our Lord Jesus Christ!
I've yet to meet a dedicated Christian who didn't have a cross to bear: a burden for the lost, a trial of faith, or some kind of tribulation. Yet therein lies the lesson: if you can be talked out of your cross, you will be bested of your crown!Jesus said, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:37,38.
	Keeping our cross can be painful, even unto death. Even in our "modern world", those who proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ are targets of violence. And many times, members of our own family ridicule our witness of the Lord to others. You see, their agenda or priorities are not the same as ours--thus, to them, we are being foolish: we need "to get a life." Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:34.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27.
	"Oh Lord, if You loved me, you would deliver me from this affliction!" we whine. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. II Corinthians 1:3,4. Some of us have physical afflictions (crosses) to bear, through which we could be TREMENDOUS witnesses of the Grace of God. Yet, instead of it causing us to have compassion for those who are afflicted in like manner as we are and witnessing to them of the Grace of God, we are busy busy busy using it to gain sympathy: "Poor me, poor poor me. Just look at poor me! I just don't understand why God allows me to suffer this way!" Could be it's the only way He has of getting our attention??
Certainly I believe that God still heals in this day and age that we are living. But folks, it has to be according to His Will, His Way, in His Time. Get that? Sometimes, He intends for us to go through certain trials and tribulations for the lesson value they hold! We need to learn something and the only way to do so is through endurance of it! Do you honestly think for a moment that the humiliation, the mockery, the degradation, the awful awful pain that Jesus Christ endured for us was lessened because He is the Only Begotten Son of God? I want you to understand one thing: He was made, now get this, F-L-E-S-H. One of the MAJOR differences between Him and us is, He submitted Himself to the will of Our Father in heaven--we don't!
	"Well, I'm going to have my way about it, or else." GET READY FOR ELSE! God is still in control, my friends and whether we are willing to bear our cross in order to gain our crown or not, He will remain in control. Whether we are willing to endure to the end or not, He will still be in control. Many many many times we could lessen our "suffering" if we would just submit to the Will of God and learn that which He wants us to learn. "But I don't know what that is!" If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5.
But wait, it's conditional: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways. James 1:6-8. Jesus rode into the city on the back of a donkey, the crowds greeting Him and cheering for Him--their Hero! He had come to set them free of bondage! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Yet, the bondage He came to set them free of is the same bondage by which we are bound today: the bondage of sin! He quickly lost their "vote", if you will, when he got into their pocketbooks--driving those who defiled the House of God out of it.
	And the same is true today! Preachers are so afraid of losing the deep pockets in their congregations, they won't preach "Cross Before Crown". They won't preach "you must endure to the end". Oh no, it's all rose petals and good times.And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG. II Corinthians 12:7-10.
As we bear our cross, God will give us sufficient Grace to bear it. You see, when WE are weak within ourselves, then CHRIST can be strong through us, and after all, HE is the ONE Who is to be exalted, right? If we will get over exalting ourselves and focus on exalting Him, His Grace will be sufficient for us to bear our cross until we gain our crown. ...Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10. Life--everlasting life--through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(all emphasis on scriptures, such as bold, underline or uppercase, is mine) "Cross Before Crown" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes. All Rights Reserved
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