The Father's Menu

The Father's Menu

Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

GLORY IN THE CROSS

As believers, our boasting must be in one thing alone—the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world and its fleeting pleasures hold no eternal value. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The sinful allure of the world is deceptive and temporary, offering no true fulfillment. The cross of Jesus Christ stands as a clear demarcation, showing us that the world has been crucified to Christ. In other words, the world is dead to Him, and as His followers, we too must reckon ourselves dead to the world.

Galatians 6:14 reminds us of this principle: “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.” To be crucified to the world is to detach ourselves from its desires, values, and priorities. This requires a daily choice to lay aside worldly relationships, ungodly associations, and pursuits that contradict our faith.

Jesus Himself outlined the cost of discipleship in Luke 9:23: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Denying oneself is not a one-time decision but a continuous act of surrender, where we choose to put Christ first, forsaking the distractions and enticements of the world.

When the world is not dead to us, we risk becoming ashamed of our relationship with Jesus. This is a grave mistake, as Jesus warns in Mark 8:38: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” To be alive in Christ is to embrace His values, commands, and mission. As we daily take up our cross, we experience the transformative power of His grace, enabling us to stand boldly in a world that opposes His truth. Let your glory be in Christ alone, and let your life be a testimony of one who has been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20).

Confession

I declare, I glory in no other but the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ! Through the cross, I am dead to this world and all its fleeting pleasures. My life is anchored in Christ, and I live to honor Him alone. I boldly proclaim that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I walk in His truth, and my life reflects His glory. Hallelujah!”

Further Reading

Eph 2:16-17 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Col 1:20 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Read through the Bible in 1 year: Nahum 1:1-3:19 Revelation 8:1-13 Psalm 136:1-26 Proverbs 30:7-9

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Isa 30-31 & Prv 14