What do I mean when I use the term, “Raw Christianity?” I am simply speaking of those stalwart saints who go on in life without the aid of all the fanfare of today’s modern religious tripe tacked on to them. Those rare, red blooded, unprocessed, natural souls; whom God has stripped and laid bare on His altar of sacrifice for all to behold; as the smell of their sweet savor ascends to the nostrils of God.
These unsung heroes are all around us. Count yourself blessed if you have rubbed shoulders with any of them. And consider yourself even more privileged if the Lord has sorted you out to join their ranks. Who would not count it an honor to stand along side these “living sacrifices?” Suffering in body, forsaken by loved ones, and having lost all that’s precious, they display countenances as “the face of an angel.”
When our Lord said, “Take up your cross,” He was telling us it is a voluntary thing. It is our choice; we can pick it up or put it down. Many today, I’m afraid, have preferred doing the latter. They have elected to follow the fun and games crowd over following the “Lamb to the slaughter.” Whenever one saw an individual carrying a cross in Jesus day, they certainly knew he or she was not headed for an ice cream social! As A.W. Tozer brings out in one of his books on the Cross, the one thing we can be sure of, a cross crucifies its occupant.
Historical Christianity is the story of God’s people triumphing over suffering. And it began with its Blessed Founder!
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