Matthew 16:24-28 (Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus)
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. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Tag: Deny Life - Gain Living
The above passage should be he first lesson we learn as believers. Christ’s point: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” is fundamental to our Christian walk. The word “deny” is ἀπαρνέομαι aparneomai (to deny utterly, i.e. disown, abstain: — deny). This is not a concept taught in our society at any level ... even in today’s church. In today’s church we “cater” to the church goer so they have “just what they want” in their worship, youth ministry and their church experience. We don’t teach the concept of “denying” self. Yet, in a marriage to be successful we have to “deny” ourselves and fully “give” to our spouse. In the Christian walk we must deny ourselves and give full allegiance to Christ. The concept to “disown” our own interest is a foreign concept. That is the difference in Christianity and the world. Our worldview is NOT to seek who we are but to deny ourselves and seek Christ. If we do that Christ promises we will be able to “find” life. That is not a concept the world can understand. Why should be embrace this worldview? The rest of the passage tells us. Jesus gives two reasons:
1. 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?
2. 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.
His two reasons are very simply. If we pursue our own life we will forfeit our own soul and we need to realize that God is going to judge us for how we stewarded this life. Christ’s teaching is foreign to the world. For Christ you don’t seek your own life, instead you seek His life to find real living.
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