“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.’” (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-26)
If you want to share the message of the gospel of Jesus
Christ with anyone, this is the gospel message you should be sharing. For this
is the gospel message that Jesus Christ taught and that Paul, John, and Peter
taught. In Luke’s recollection of Jesus’ words, we are told to take up our
cross “daily” or “every day,” but I believe “daily” is to be understood by the
context, anyway. For following Jesus Christ in obedience is not something we do
once, but daily. And dying to sin is something we do daily, as well.
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:12-14 ESV).
In some more literal translations it says, “putting to
death,” meaning that this is a regular ongoing practice of dying to sin daily.
But I also believe that “daily” is understood here by the context, for it is
talking about how we live, which is what we do daily, in practice. For we are
also led by the Spirit, not just once, but daily. And this also is part of the
gospel message that if we are living according to the flesh, and not according
to the Spirit (in sin and not in obedience to Christ) that we will die in our
sins, not have eternal life.
And this is borne
out in Jesus’ words as we keep reading. So, in truth, we have to deny self
every day, and every day we must be putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and
this doesn’t mean giving in to it first, but it means not giving in to the sin but
putting it to death every time the temptation arises. And then we must follow
Jesus in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. And in the New
Testament we have many commands given to us that we are to be living by,
putting off this, and putting on that daily.
See: [Matt 5:27-30;
Matt 7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24;
Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb
12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
And then Matthew
continues on and explains to us even further the meaning of this denying of
self and dying daily to sin and following Jesus in obedience. If we try to save
our own lives, i.e. if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we are going
to lose our lives for eternity. But if we lose our lives for Jesus’ sake, i.e.
if we die daily to sin and to self and we follow him in obedience, then we will
find our lives, and we will have eternal life in Him.
But if we continue
living for self and for the sinful pleasures of this world, and if we live to
please self and other humans, and not live to please God, and if the world is
what we want more than we want God, we will be forfeiting our own souls. For we
can’t live worldly lives and godly lives at the same time. We will love one and
hate the other. And if the world is what we love, and not God, we don’t have
the love of the Father within us. For to love God is to submit to him as Lord,
and it is to walk in obedience to him.
And all of what this
teaches here is part of the gospel message which we must be giving out to the
people. For so many people have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ who
are still living for self and in sin, but they are convinced they are saved
from their sins and that heaven is guaranteed them when they die. So we need to
be those who are telling them the truth so that they will turn from their sins
and obey the Lord Jesus. For if they don’t, they need to know that when Jesus
returns, he is going to repay us all according to what we have done in this
life.
See: [Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32;
Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal
6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10;
Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev
21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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