A Cruciform Life

The cross does more than show us how Jesus saves, it also interrupts us and calls our lives and priorities into question. Jesus calls His disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him. Yet before He ever calls us to bear a cross, Christ bears His cross for us. His grace is free, but it is not cheap. And because that grace has made us His, the cross that saves us also begins to give shape to us, turning us outward in genuine love, forgiveness, service, and even love for our enemies. This is the cruciform life of the baptized, a life shaped by the costly grace of the Crucified and Risen Lord.