Cross-Carrying
A spiritual man is one who voluntarily carries his cross, seeing everything from God's viewpoint and being attached to Christ.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that carrying one's cross is a voluntary act of obedience to Christ, distinguishing it from the general adversities faced by all. The true cross is borne by those who choose to follow Christ, fully aware of the commitment and consequences involved. A spiritual person is deeply attached to Christ, committed to His Lordship, and obedient to His commandments, viewing life through God's perspective. This spiritual insight allows believers to evaluate situations as God does, leading to a deeper understanding and humility. Ultimately, the spiritual man embraces the pain of revelation, recognizing his own limitations in light of God's wisdom.
Text
The spiritual man wants to carry his cross. Many Christians accept adversity or tribulation with a sigh and call it their cross, forgetting that such things come alike to saint and sinner. The cross is that extra adversity that comes to us as a result of our obedience to Christ. This cross is not forced upon us; we voluntarily take it up with full knowledge of the consequences. We choose to obey Christ and by so doing choose to carry the cross. Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to the Lordship of Christ and obedient to the commandments of Christ. The man who is so attached, so committed, so obedient is a spiritual man. 4.
Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God?s viewpoint.
The ability to weigh all things in the divine scale and place the same value upon them as God does is the mark of a Spirit-filled life. God looks at and through at the same time. His gaze does not rest on the surface but penetrates to the true meaning of things. The carnal Christian looks at an object or a situation, but because he does not see through it he is elated or cast down by what he sees. The spiritual man is able to look through things as God looks and think of them as God thinks. He insists on seeing all things as God sees them even if it humbles him and exposes his ignorance to the point of real pain.
Sermon Outline
- The Spiritual Man and the Cross
- The Spiritual Man's Perspective
- Seeing everything from God's viewpoint
- Weighing all things in the divine scale
- Placing the same value on things as God does
Key Quotes
“The cross is that extra adversity that comes to us as a result of our obedience to Christ.” — A.W. Tozer
“Carrying a cross means to be attached to the Person of Christ, committed to the Lordship of Christ and obedient to the commandments of Christ.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- I must be willing to take up my cross and follow Christ, even if it means facing extra adversity.
- I need to develop a spiritual perspective by seeing everything from God's viewpoint and weighing all things in the divine scale.
- I must be committed to Christ's Lordship and obedient to His commandments in order to be a spiritual man.