Christ Brings Division
Matthew 10:33-35 (KJV)
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Matthew 10:34-39 (NKJV)
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[a] 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Luke 14:25-27 (KJV)
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
I have recently discovered the pain of crucifixion as related to these verses. A true disciple will indeed pay the price for actually following Christ in spirit and in truth, not just giving lip service to the scriptures, like the majority of others do…
If you will not suffer these things, you cannot be a disciple of Christ – even if the Lord has started a work in you. Bearing ones cross is painful and will cost you everything within the world.
Systematic theologies often seek to shield the follower of Christ from the sacrifice required to enter into a closer walk with the Lord (what Oswald Chambers referred to as the white funeral). They are but a type of sari get (whores as in Rev 17) or a “false vine” attempting to preserve their life in the world, and yet attempting to please God without personal crucifixion. This is the “Spirit” of antichrist, another Gospel, and who Paul called enemies of the cross.
We must continually choose between following Christ (who is the true vine) and the world’s systems of lookalikes (even) Bible religions using the label of “Christian’s” who merely claim to be followers of Christ, yet in actuality will not pay the cost within their daily lives.
The worst enemies will be the one’s closest to him, his own family, and the “Broad Roader”, who started in his walk, but refuses to finish, as the price of discipleship is too high within the world.
It is much, much, easier to devise a system of teachings (doctrines) which negates the cost a true follower of Christ must pay, to be worthy of his atonement paid by our Lord. So, we must lose our life in this world in order to gain Christ, and no half measures are acceptable to utter obedience to our Lord within us.
I am speaking about having a “willing heart” who loves the Lord above all else. While making “theological” or doctrinal errors in one’s own understanding is irrelevant to our Lord, as “these” are the Good Ground in which Jesus spoke about, consistently dependent upon Him, and not leaning towards their own understanding, like a scribe or Pharisee does.
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