{"id":50904,"date":"2000-01-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-01-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/cross-bond-of-love\/"},"modified":"2000-01-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2000-01-11T00:00:00","slug":"cross-bond-of-love","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/cross-bond-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cross–A Bond of Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Francois de Fenelon, a 17th century priest during the Huguenot conflicts, wrote the following words of encouragement to a struggling fellow-priest:<\/p>\n\n

\n

I am sorry to hear of your troubles, but I am sure you realize that you must carry the cross with Christ in this life. Soon enough there will come a time when you will no longer suffer. You will reign with God and He will wipe away your tears with His own hand. In His presence, pain and sighing will forever flee away.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

\n

So while you have the opportunity to experience difficult trials, do not lose the slightest opportunity to embrace the cross. Learn to suffer with simplicity and a heart full of love. If you do, you will not only be happy in spite of the cross, but because of it. Love is pleased to suffer for the Well-Beloved. The cross which conforms you into his image is a consoling bond of love between you and Him.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3718,3720,4396,4584,5103,5191],"tax_ctp_topics":[378,386],"class_list":["post-50904","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-cross","tax_ctp_tags-cross-bearing","tax_ctp_tags-love-for-christ","tax_ctp_tags-pain","tax_ctp_tags-suffering","tax_ctp_tags-trial"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\nThe Cross-A Bond of Love - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/cross-bond-of-love\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Cross-A Bond of Love - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Francois de Fenelon, a 17th century priest during the Huguenot conflicts, wrote the following words of encouragement to a struggling fellow-priest: I am sorry to hear of your troubles, but I am sure you realize that you must carry the cross with Christ in this life. 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