What does it mean: Part One?

 

What Does It Mean: Part One?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matthew 16:24

 

A Profound Teaching of Jesus

Jesus, in this teaching, is making profound statements: He is spelling out clearly what He expects of people who wish to know Him as Savior, and also know Him as Lord; therefore, it is vital we, who want eternal life, be clear on precisely what Jesus means as He declares this big “IF” that makes possible for human beings to truly be Christ Followers and reap the glorious benefits of Eternal Salvation.

In the coming blogs, we will share together what this big “IF” means. We will discuss what denying ourselves means, and then we will look at what following Him means, and how important it is to really understand what His teachings say to us in Matthew 16:24.

What Is the Big Deal About These Six Words?

Jesus is talking to men who are in the process of leaving their old lives behind, and He is talking to you and me. The topic is of utmost concern to Jesus, as well as to most of these folks; however, I fear that, today, there are people who are not hearing Him. Sadly, too many are diluting Jesus heart felt requirement for being what we, in the 21st century, call “Christian.”

Nevertheless, Jesus is clear in what He is saying, and it is vital to understand what He means by sharing these six words “IF.” Here is what His “IF” statement means: The only way to actually be a true believer, or disciple of Jesus, requires we walk in accordance with the instructions He is giving. Failure to follow these instructions, and to claim to believe in Him, is an anemic non-Christ centered faith. It is not true believing. After all the devils believe, and they tremble. (James 2:19b) I can tell you, for a fact, these demons/devils, didn’t follow these instructions laid out by Jesus; therefore, Jesus is, by this “IF” teaching, clearly laying out the parameters of authentic belief.  

And there is more to come. See you in the next blog

SoJourner

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