"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14).

Sam Jones (1847-1906), the noted evangelist of the late 1800's once said, "The cross is a symbol of God's heartbreak over a world that is gone astray." What does the cross mean to you? If you are very observant you will find the cross, as a symbol, just about everywhere you look. Most people wear a cross not even thinking about what it means. Even unbelievers wear them about their necks (and elsewhere) as a religious symbol. What does the cross signify to you? Does the cross signify death to you? Does it tell you that you are dead to the system of this world? Paul says, "The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14).

Christian, can you say as Paul that the cross has brought death to the worldly things in your life? In 1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul indicated that dying is something that is to be done daily. Every saint must view the cross as a place of death, not a place where you got some religious experience, but a place where you died to self. Jesus said that if one would "not bear his cross" and follow Him, then that one "cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27). Think on this: if the cross is nothing more than a symbol you wear somewhere upon your person, then you don't know the same cross Christ bore.

—Phil Heaton, Used by permission

It is still the duty of all believers to sever connections with anything that hinders our spiritual progress and effectiveness. We must forsake all sin, all self-will, and every worldly pleasure that draws our heart away from God. If we do this, when we are tested and tried, the spiritual fiber of our lives will stand the test. We'll be strengthened in the process, so that we in turn might be a blessing to those around us. —Herb Vander Lugt

For every soul who would progress in the things of God there must be a first time when he repudiates his own will and presents himself a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1,2). Once this unconditional surrender is made, it must be repeated in daily practice. The believer must maintain himself in a state of yieldedness, in every aspect of life acknowledging the Lordship of Christ. —William MacDonald