Jesus asks us to help him to carry his cross.
He needs for us to meet him at least half way, otherwise why did he go through all that effort if he could just snap his fingers and make it all happen?
“Actually, we are commanded to love one another as ourselves and to love God with our whole heart mind and soul.”
We should love one another — but it has nothing to do with finally arriving in Heaven. (No Purgatory, except maybe it’s down the road from Oz.) Nothing we can DO will save us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Titus 3:5 - “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
Isaiah 64:6 - “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”
“Jesus asks us to help him to carry his cross.”
Did He ask that? For us to help Him carry His cross? He commanded, “come, take up the cross, and FOLLOW me.” (Mark 10:21)
He needs for us to meet him at least half way, otherwise why did he go through all that effort if he could just snap his fingers and make it all happen?
He didn’t “snap His fingers”. Instead, he died on the cross. We don’t need to meet Him halfway; we don’t to DO anything except accept Him as personal Savior. (Ideally, though, after salvation we should be with Him 100%, not just half way.)
Jesus carries our cross of burden.
Our works are not for our benefit, to make us worthy of heaven, but for the benefit of the others to whom we are to go to share the gospel.
Those works are to show the transforming power of Christ in a lost and hurting world, a chance to overcome evil with good, and show the love of Christ to people who need it.
The works are a testimony of what Christ can do in and through imperfect people.
He doesn't "need" us to do ANYTHING.
He can visit people in dreams and visions, as is regularly reported amongst muslims.
But we've been given the charge and it is our responsibility to go into the world and share the gospel, and our lives testify to its truthfulness.