In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” These words applied to the disciples and to all who would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus through the teaching of His chosen Apostles. Jesus invites every person to follow, but from the words of Jesus it is paramount that those who desire to follow Him must have three distinctive characteristics or attitudes: a willingness to deny themselves, a willingness to take up his or her own cross, and a willingness to follow Jesus, wherever that will take them.
The first thing that we are supposed to learn when we become Christians is that we are now "owned" by Jesus Christ. We are not in charge of our lives any longer. "Self" is no longer at the helm; God is. 16. Know you not, that to whom you present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17. But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered; 18. and being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)
We have been bought with a price. As the Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 19. Or know you not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Which is in you, which you have from God? And you are not your own; 20. for you were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. That price which paid for our salvation was a great one, indeed, for it cost Jesus His very own life-giving blood: “ . . . you were redeemed . . . with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
The Lord said in Matthew 16:26, “For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?” Jesus is telling us here, if we are but willing to listen, that there is nothing this world has to offer that is more important, or more precious, than our eternal life. He wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life controlled by selfish desires and carnal gratification that ultimately will lead to destruction. When we give up our desires, ambitions, possessions, calculation, and even our very life itself in service to Christ, we discover the true purpose of living. The Preacher summed it up thusly: “This is the end of the matter; all has been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To be willing to put personal desires and one’s own entire being itself into God's hands means we understand that there is nothing that we can gain on our own in our lives in this world can compare to what we gain with Christ. So, we have to ask ourselves honestly, "Who is the boss in my life?" It is my prayer that you can answer honestly, “It is the Lord!”
May the Lord bless you and yours!
The first thing that we are supposed to learn when we become Christians is that we are now "owned" by Jesus Christ. We are not in charge of our lives any longer. "Self" is no longer at the helm; God is. 16. Know you not, that to whom you present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17. But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered; 18. and being made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)
We have been bought with a price. As the Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 19. Or know you not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Which is in you, which you have from God? And you are not your own; 20. for you were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body. That price which paid for our salvation was a great one, indeed, for it cost Jesus His very own life-giving blood: “ . . . you were redeemed . . . with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
The Lord said in Matthew 16:26, “For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?” Jesus is telling us here, if we are but willing to listen, that there is nothing this world has to offer that is more important, or more precious, than our eternal life. He wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life controlled by selfish desires and carnal gratification that ultimately will lead to destruction. When we give up our desires, ambitions, possessions, calculation, and even our very life itself in service to Christ, we discover the true purpose of living. The Preacher summed it up thusly: “This is the end of the matter; all has been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To be willing to put personal desires and one’s own entire being itself into God's hands means we understand that there is nothing that we can gain on our own in our lives in this world can compare to what we gain with Christ. So, we have to ask ourselves honestly, "Who is the boss in my life?" It is my prayer that you can answer honestly, “It is the Lord!”
May the Lord bless you and yours!
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