If You Hang On To Your Life, You Will Lose It. But If You Give Up Your Life For My Sake, You Will Save It
Living For Christ Is Great Gain
MARK 8:34-38
“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
”Mark 8:34-38 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mrk.8.34-38.NKJ
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Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus? The Romans, Mark's original audience, knew exactly what taking up the cross meant.
Death on the cross was a form of execution used by Rome for the most dangerous violent criminals, the worst of all criminals.
The prisoner carried his own cross to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome's power.
Jesus used this image of carrying a cross to illustrate the ultimate submission required by His followers.
He wasn't saying we should seek pain needlessly, or that He was against pleasure. He was talking about the heroic effort needed to follow Him moment by moment, even in difficult times; even if it means suffering for Christ and the future looks bleak.
Paul wrote in PHILIPPIANS 2:21: "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Like Paul, we should be willing to lose our life for the sake of the Good News, not because our life is worthless or useless, but because nothing, not even life itself can compare to what we gain in Christ.
Jesus wants us to choose to follow Him rather than lead a life to accumulate worldly treasures and self-satisfaction. He wants us to allow Him to direct us and stop trying to control our own destiny.
This makes good sense because as the Creator, Christ knows better than us what real life is about.
He asks for submission, not self-hatred, He asks that we lose our self-centered determination to be in charge.
Many people spend their time and energy seeking pleasure. But Jesus said “worldliness”, which is centered on possessions, position, and power, “is ultimately worthless”.
Everything we have on earth is temporary, including lifestyle, for nothing is more valuable than your soul.
If you work hard at getting what you want, you might eventually have a "pleasurable" life, a nice car, home, maybe a yacht or great riches and extreme status, but in the end, without Christ, it is all temporary and you will find it hollow and empty, and at best, temporary.
We come into this earth naked and empty handed and we shall leave the same-“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?”
Ecclesiastes 5:15-16 NKJV
My brethren, Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Mark 8:34-36 NKJV
Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than self pursuits?
Are you willing to put down your goals and exchange them for service to God?
It is not always easy to follow Jesus, many suffer persecution, pain and hardship for their faith. But Jesus gives us a choice; a choice that brings a future and a hope, and the reality of a wonderful future that will not be spoiled (JEREMIAH 29:11).
Jesus constantly turns the world's perspective upside down with talk of the first and last, saving or losing. But we can reject Jesus now and be rejected by Him when He returns, or we can accept Him now and be accepted by Him forever.
Rejecting Christ now, may slow the persecution, the trials and challenges and hatred that we suffer now, but acceptance brings a wonderful joy in living in Christ every day, His peace that surpasses all understanding that shall guard your hearts and minds (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7), and the wonderful prospect of a future of eternal life in paradise with our creator God forever (REVELATION 21:3-4).
Our life in Christ is a truly wonderful gift from God. A gift that cannot be purchased or gained by any kind of money or works, and God wants to use you to share your gift to others, that they too have the opportunity of life everlasting.
Jesus is commanding us believers of today, as He did “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
Matthew 10:5-15 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
