The Cost of the Cross

Been reading, "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. If anyone ever thought the being a Christian was for our sake, somebody was lying to them. Following Christ is a Glory issue for God. It's His desire to use us to reveal to the world, His continued bearing up of their sufferings. He does this though in the same way that he began doing it at the cross through the sufferings of His son.

Being a Christian is about suffering, yes even unto death. If anyone says anything different, they're looking for excuses, for their life which they know is far from God. Jesus never said any different. We just like reading His words and then determining, through abstract theological concepts, what Jesus really meant with His words for us today. Well He really meant then what it means now. Take up your cross and die to yourself, even if that means death in this earthly life (Mark 8). Only by being called-out to this Grace and accepting it, do we have any hope of overcoming suffering. Just as Jesus' way to overcome His suffering was to head to the cross.

Thank you Dietrich Bonhoeffer for being a man who was dead to himself and being made alive to Christ. God be praised!