I like that. That is what I was trying to say to
@bbyrd009 and the
@amadeus but I am not good at wording what I am 'trying' to say.
We are told that- "for the joy that was before Him, he endured the cross.." The cross is something we choose to carry, at His invitation.
I see this as an 'after salvation' invite, not in order to be 'be saved' or to 'get saved'....but because of the love He has placed in our heart, as you said.
As I see it...God has always had His intimate, personal, inner circle of friends. Moses and Aaron , Joshua and Caleb, David. He spoke of "Abraham my friend " and spoke to "Moses face to face as to a friend"
Jesus chose to take just Peter, James and John up the mountain with Him. I believe this was what Paul encouraged us all to do...Paul did use the phrase "pick up your cross" his phrase was run the race, never give up, never look back...run to win ...run for the prize of the high calling in Christ.
What high calling? Paul ran his race to win The Prize of the inner circle, intimate friendship, that Jesus calls us to = "forget all else, pick up that cross of 100% commitment , lay down 'your' life, take up my Life, and follow Me as close as you can. "
That to me is this call of picking up the cross.
Thank you for your post.