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Mark 8:34-38
In Mark 8:34-38 is one of the best definitions of being a Christian as it is concise and most of all, defined by Jesus. Jesus states in Mark 8:34b-35 (NKJV), “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.” To deny yourself is to admit that you need help, which is possibly the hardest thing for a person to do. To take up your cross is to be aware that the road of following Jesus is not easy; it will be the most challenging thing you will ever do. But if you desire to save your own life by believing in yourself to accomplish everything you desire, you will forfeit your soul to everlasting condemnation. The Bible teaches us in the words of Jesus in John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” But to lose your life for the sake of Jesus and the gospel is the act of giving up one’s own desires and taking on the action of following Jesus. This is redemption through repentance that in a sincerity of heart changes your life for Jesus. In this losing your old self/old life and putting on a new life of following Jesus is to be saved, or as Jesus states in Mark 8:35b, “but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Jesus then explains Himself by stating in Mark 8:36-38, “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.”
This is the definition of a Christian as given by Jesus.
To follow Jesus is to give up on our own personal desires and begin seeking the path that God has laid out for us. To follow Jesus is to stop participating in the things of this world that are against the teachings of Jesus. To follow Jesus is to understand that the world will look at you in a different way that will draw some persecution and discontinue relationships in some cases. You will be left out of some activities that in themselves are things that you now need to distance yourself from anyway in seeking and following Jesus. This may sound like you are being left out of many things, but that is what the devil wants you to focus on; but as we have already learned from Jesus in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). There is no other way to heaven, even though the devil will fill your mind with all kinds of ways that seem as if they will be good enough. But the truth is Jesus, the way to God is through Jesus, and the way to life eternal is found in sincerely opening your heart to Jesus, believing that He died for your sins and that He was raised from the dead in victory over sin, death, and the devil, and putting your new life in Christ into action. There will be trials; there will be tribulations; but are you not experiencing trials and tribulations already? Would you not prefer to have Jesus help you through them as He has already experienced everything you will ever go through when He died on the cross for you? He died with His arms wide open…as if to welcome all who will come to Him and believe. Believe in Jesus today and the joys of salvation will fill your soul with new life – in Christ!
Dear LORD,
Jesus explains to us the way to salvation and eternal life in Your Word. He explains to us that the only way is through Him by making a choice to put aside our old sinful nature and put on the new nature of Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” And in Colossians 3:8-11 he declares, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.” Please open our hearts LORD to understand these things and be a Christian as defined by Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, amen.