The Holy Martyrs Galaction and Epistemis
Read
Colossians 2:20-3:3; Luke 9:23-27
All of us have been given a cross to carry in this life. This cross can be uncomfortable and frustrating; it can be the reason we have doubts about our faith or we lose hope in God. There may be times when we want to drop the cross and move on with our lives without the cross. We perceive the cross to be a restriction on our freedom. Why does God give us the cross to carry?
Very simply, it is through the cross that we receive our salvation. Jesus’ self-emptying on the cross has brought joy to all the world and salvation for those who desire to follow our Lord by taking up their cross and following Him. There is no salvation for us without the cross. If we think otherwise, we are fooling ourselves into thinking that our salvation is self-determining. Our salvation comes through the cross and our carrying of it in co-operation with the God who created us and loves us.