Christian Living

The Cross, Part 7—Not His, Yours!

by J.W. Phillips
03/19/25
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The Cross, Part 7—Not His, Yours! 

There are two crosses commended in Scripture, not one. There is the cross of our Lord, and there is our cross.

One might think that understanding the meaning of these two crosses would surely be grasped by the church at this point. This isn’t the case. Each cross has been misunderstood, even to the point where many today think one cross already did what only the other cross can do.

It is commonly thought that if we really believed Jesus rendered sin powerless on the cross, it will be. We just have to believe more.

When we later failed, as each of us have done, we kept telling ourselves, we just have to believe more, hard though it seems to be!

Missing from our minds were the differences between these two crosses.

The cross of our Lord terminated our old nature, but it is our cross that deals with the flesh. The old nature and the flesh are not the same.

The flesh is a residue of the old nature, the product of past training, the impulses prompted by “old tapes,” the traces and tracks of past habits, the source of which is gone; the results of which are not gone.

All that we said in the previous post about a cursed-free life being available to us now is totally true. But it doesn’t seem true, and indeed it isn’t true if the flesh, what some with unfortunate wording call our “self-life,” is still loose and causing us to lose.

Jesus was quite clear about the necessity of taking up this second cross. Yet many there are who will celebrate his cross but want nothing to do with our cross. We want the bread-giving Messiah, the healing Messiah, the story-telling Messiah. We do not want the cross-giving Messiah.

Oh, yes, we’re glad he died on the cross. But we want no part of that for ourselves. We prefer an easier life, but have no idea that the life we want isn’t easier.

Jesus said the flesh profits nothing! Nothing? Do you believe that?

Most people don’t. And the reason they don’t is because they fail to see that the flesh—though noble in its aspirations at times, and at times very sincere in its efforts—can only stack zeroes in the record books of Heaven. Therefore, what others may admire, and certain promotional pieces may highlight, will receive no reward from God.

Now, if the truth of this statement were made clear to every child of God, all would be shocked—open-mouthed, absolutely-stunned-motionless, shocked! For they’ve been thinking their efforts have to be better than that.

They are not! And we better accept the fact they are not, because, as A.B. Simpson declared, “This is God’s decree against the flesh in us. It cannot be cleansed. It cannot be improved. It cannot be cultivated. It cannot be educated into ideals and principles ....”¹

Summing up the accuracy of God’s verdict, Simpson said, “The flesh is hopelessly, eternally corrupt. It cannot please God, and it must be completely dethroned, renounced, and crucified with Christ.”²

All lesser measures will fail, which is precisely why these alternative approaches for tamping down the instincts and impulses of the flesh shouldn’t be entertained.

Just know: The decision to take up the cross is your choice. God isn’t going to run you down and force you upon it.

But if you’ll make that decision, you will experience what Paul intensely desired “the fellowship of his suffering.”

The fellowship of his suffering? Who would want to go to a party promoting that theme? We’re not talking about masochism, are we? No, but we are talking about following the Master.

It is as we draw upon his enabling power, and enter the crucible of suffering for his name’s sake, that his love for us is unleashed with lavished abundance.

Had you only agreed to the cross when the call to take it up was first heard, the Lord could have already done his part by now. And even today, if you’ll take up the cross, thereby showing your willingness to be put on it, the Lord will do the rest.

And once he does, it is precisely then that your flesh, that phantom self from within that has caused you so many problems, will be sidelined. Not put out of existence as the old nature was on Jesus’ cross, but for sure put out of the game! And wouldn’t that be good?

Just imagine what your life would be like if this occurred. Why, the difference between the “you” you have long known and the life the cross makes possible is tremendous! Promises could then be claimed and mighty exploits could then be achieved, once that self-life is no longer a factor.

The risen life, the resurrected life, isn’t possible, though, if our flesh is still functioning.

When hearing about this nonnegotiable pre-condition, many Christians will freely admit that their flesh is functioning. How often, you ask? Every day! And for how long has this been going on? It’s been that way for years!

This need not continue for one more day. But it will continue, as will the forfeiture of many blessing secured by his cross, if we fail to take up that second cross, our cross.

Jesus cross eliminated the old nature. Our cross can sideline the flesh, and must sideline the flesh or sin will win anyway, no matter what Jesus did on the cross.

Many Christians, totally confused, will say they still have an old nature. Why? Because they still sin.

This misdiagnoses the problem entirely. It’s not the old nature generating all these defeats; it’s the flesh; and the only remedy for that is the crucified life.

Sad to say, there’s a lot of confusion about that, too. Some people will refer to some hardship in their life—whether it be physical, relational or circumstantial—and say, “Well, I guess, that’s my cross, that’s the burden I’ll have to bear.” When in fact God doesn’t want them to bear any of that. Indeed, he has a grace supply to take all of it away.

G.D. Watson said, “There are many kinds of sorrow and suffering which do not serve the purpose of true crucifixion.”³ The cross doesn’t mean giving up things; it means giving up you!

You as the decision-maker.
You trusting your own wisdom.
You serving your own goals.

Hannah Whitall-Smith wrote, “We must continually put self to death in all the details of daily life.…”⁴ Constantly the believer is to confront the inner foe, who, because it is his own darling self, is all too often spared.

A.J. Gordon wrote, “The mortifying of the flesh, the daily subduing of its sinful affections and lusts, the bringing of the whole body under the dominion of the cross, is not this most vital to the believer’s growth in holiness?”⁵

Indeed, it is! So its work, painful though it no doubt is, must continue!

Picture this scene. There stands Jesus, and at his feet is a cross. The heart-pounding question that cannot go unanswered is this: Will you take it up? Will you say, here and now, “Jesus, I give you permission to put me on that cross?”

Will you say this?

If you will not, and for as long as you will not, you should know that you are making Christianity something other than it is, and therefore the only thing left will be the empty language of pretended faith. Something counterfeit, not authentic.

If you are more familiar with the self-life than you are with the spirit-life, this is proof positive that you are spiritually stuck. Moreover, to walk away from the cross risks this continuing consequence.

A far better outcome is available to those who take up the cross God has given them to bear, because for them, and especially for them, intimacy with God is now made possible.

So, it’s decision time. Will you do it? Will you take up the cross?

Notes:
1. A.B. Simpson, The Christ in the Bible Commentary, Volume 2, (Camp Hill. PA., WingSpread Publishers, 2009), p.2.
2. Ibid.
3. G.D. Watson, Soul Food, (Hampton, TN., Harvey Christian Publishers, 2000), p.50.
4. Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian’s Secret of Happiness, (Old Tappan, NJ, Fleming H. Revell, 1974), p.159.
5. A.J. Gordon, In Christ, (Grand Rapids, MI., Baker Books, 1964), p.99.