Living the Cross Life

Prologue Living the Cross Life: A New Theology of Righteous Suffering "To be crucified means, first, the man on the cross is facing only one direction; second, he is not going back; and third, he has no further plans of his own." —A.W. Tozer There comes a moment in every believer’s life when suffering ceases to be a question and becomes a certainty. It isn’t merely a season to endure or an obstacle to overcome—it is a calling. To walk in the footsteps of Christ is to take up the cross daily, not as a singular event, but as a way of being. It is to embrace hardship with unwavering trust, knowing that the cross was never simply the instrument of death—it was Jesus’ purpose from the beginning. Throughout history, suffering has been misunderstood, resisted, even feared. Yet the message of the Gospel transforms it. Pain is not an abandonment. It is an invitation. Job understood this when he declared, "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). Paul echoed it when he encouraged the early disciples with the words, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). And Jesus Himself gave us the ultimate assurance: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). It is no accident that Christ spoke these words before His own suffering unfolded. He wanted His disciples to understand that pain was not the absence of God—it was where His presence became undeniable. We do not merely endure suffering; we meet Christ within it. Many believers struggle with the weight of affliction, wondering if they have fallen out of favor, if they are somehow distant from the love of God. But Jesus did not call His followers to a life of comfort—He called them to a life of surrender. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first" (John 15:18). To be a disciple is to embrace suffering, not as punishment, but as participation in the life and love of Christ Himself. The Cross Life is more than bearing trials—it is a reshaping of the soul. It is learning to love, even when it costs everything. It is carrying the burden of others, even when our own strength wanes. It is trusting that our suffering is not wasted but woven into a greater story, one written by the hands of a Savior who bore it first. This book is an invitation—a call to see suffering not as something to escape, but as something that refines, deepens, and ultimately, draws us nearer to the heart of Christ. To live the Cross Life is to embrace the fullness of sacrifice and the richness of resurrection. It is the mystery of suffering, transformed into glory. The book has an ordered sequence and was designed to be read from start to finish. However, any chapter can stand alone. If you see a chapter title that you feel will meet your immediate need immediately, then by all means proceed directly to that section of the book. Let us embark on this journey together—with open hearts and willing spirits—ready to discover the depth of God’s grace in every hardship, and the unshakable hope that sustains us through it all. Prayerfully and carefully presented in His Name, —Dr. Clark G. Armstrong Note: please avoid the following misunderstandings when approaching this subject. • Failing to consult doctors or medical professionals when deemed wise. • Turning down proven treatments for a diagnosis or ailment. • Seeking out pain or suffering on purpose. • Self-flagellation. • Thinking that it is wrong to give medicines to relieve pain in hospice or equivalent circumstances. Jesus did refuse the wine vinegar on the cross which was given in that time to numb the pain, but He only did so in order that He might identify in all ways with the suffering that every human has. • Causing pain or suffering on others who are deemed deserving of it or who you erroneously think would benefit from it. • Failing to work in all ways possible to alleviate any pain or suffering in this world that you can. This is a book for Christians who are somehow called to walk on “the road mark with suffering” and still are trying to sing “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord” (phrases from a contemporary Christian song). It is also a book for all of Christ’s disciples who have denied themselves, taken up their cross and are following Him. One way or another every one of Christ’s disciples have their own “cross” or even “crosses” to bear. So, all Christians do need this book because the scriptures tell us how to do that well and bring glory to God. Here that theology is explained.