"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24
1st He says, "if any man will come after Me." It's a CHOICE... Life or death? Christ or the world? Have you counted the cost?
2nd He says, "let him deny himself". Are you allowing Him to transform you? Are you beginning to take on His likeness or does it look like you REPRESENT the world (anyone without Him).
3rd He says, "take up his cross". It is representative both figurative & literal of DEATH. He willingly sacrificed His life so we might KNOW Him, have access to the Father in a Heaven and have everlasting LIFE. We too are required to make a sacrifice. All He endured: mockery, lashings, beatings, persecution (comes in many forms these days), to some degree, we will too. It COST Him His life, are we so arrogant to think we don't have to go through what He did; to assume the "Christian life" is about pleasures of this life (not that of the next) & worldly gain? That's WRONG!
4th He says, "come after Me"... Are you FOLLOWING Him? His ways? His commandments?
Finally, are you teachable? Remember the disciples are His students. Continually learning, absorbing & APPLYING. Do you do these things DAILY (Luke 9:26)
See, following Christ is about laying down ourselves and humbly walking with Him; serving others in His Love. Self sacrifice at a high cost. If you follow a "Jesus" with no requirements and no life changes, can you honestly say you FOLLOW Christ if the Bible?
Some may say this is harsh. No my friend, hell is harsh and anyone not walking with the True Messiah will forever be cut off from Him, from His Love & His forgiveness. With that said, Do we follow the same Jesus?
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