“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 (NASB)
The entirety of the Christian life is summed up in Christ’s command to take up our cross and follow Him. The Bible knows nothing of “easy believism”. Faith in Jesus is not an accessory to our lives, rather it is a sign that we have chosen to abandon our lives for His sake. Following Christ puts us at odds with Demonic forces, with a lost world and with our flesh. Except for John, every other Apostle was martyred for following Christ. To be a true disciple of Christ there must be a daily denying of our selfish desires, of our agendas and of our comforts and a complete surrender to the will and work of God…even if it means that we will lose our lives in His service.
Questions for application…
What does it mean to take up our cross?
What is the promise for those who are willing to abandon their lives for Christ?
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