“The word of the cross” is stumbling stone #1 (see post 25-11) because all that Jesus did for us, and all that He offers us now and forever, and all that He calls us to, is conditional on His cross and ours. Satan fears no truth more than this one, thus he applies the full force of his lies against it.
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:23-26 NIV
The word “life” there is psuché, Strongs 5590, https://biblehub.com/greek/5590.htm, which means “Soul, life, self, inner being,” and “(figuratively) the heart’s desire, the drive or passion of one’s soul (i.e. that which brings satisfaction to one’s being).”
If we want to satisfy the deepest desire of our inner being, our “self,” we must deny/refuse its corrupted desires that express the influence of Satan. We were created for the spirit-to-Spirit communion with the Father that provides our wholeness, but it was cut off when Adam and Eve sinned by choosing Satan over Him and were separated from the Father and the Life He offers.
They now had a “fallen nature” and were condemned to try to find their wholeness through their corrupted soul’s pursuit of money, sex and power, for example. It’s a futile effort of course, because Creator God made it so.
As part of His obedience to the Father, Jesus had to refuse (deny, die to) His soul desires as He struggled in the Garden before going to the cross. To “take up our cross,” means to similarly refuse the rule of our corrupted nature. Such “self-denial” sets us free from the Galatians 5:19-21 works of the flesh so that the Galatians 5:22-23 Fruit of the Spirit is formed in us, transforming us into those who exhibit the traits of the new nature as in the Matthew 5:3-12 Beatitudes. Then and only then can we experience the richness of Abundant Life, now and forever.
WARNING! Jesus’ words in Luke 9:26 apply to pastors who fear to call the flock to the way of the cross. They must, regardless of the cost, or He will deny them before the Father on that Day.
More to come.
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
September 13, 2025
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