DAILY REMINDER #11 - "My sanctification requires obedience"

Mark 8:34 says, "...if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

This is one of the most pointed scriptures in the whole Bible.  This draws us away from the idea that we can somehow be mediocre in our relationship with Jesus and still walk with Him.  It's interesting that Jesus, in this moment, was speaking not only to His disciples, but to the multitudes who were with them.  He wasn't addressing the "full-time" ministers, He was talking to everyone who wanted to be identified with Him as a Christian.  If we desire to have that title, we have to do what He said; deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him.

To deny self is to disavow any connection with something, to state that you are not connected in any way with whatever is in view. Interestingly enough, it is the very word used to refer to Peter's denial of Jesus a little later on.  Ray C. Stedman says that "denying self means that we repudiate our natural feelings about ourselves, i.e., our right to ourselves, our right to run our own lives."  It is giving up the headship of our lives, and giving it over to Him.  This is a requirement to being a Christian.

Secondly, we have to take up our cross.  The cross is a place of degradation, depravity and death.  Jesus is calling us to lose our lives for His sake.  This doesn't necessarily mean that we are to kill ourselves physically, but rather to die to every desire for worldly or selfish gain.  It's one thing to deny ourselves, but to take up our cross requires total and absolute surrender.

Lastly, He said to follow Him.  This simply means to obey Him.  Follow His commands, His lifestyle, His word and His spirit.  Ask yourself this question...am I obeying Jesus?  Is there an area of my life that is in disobedience to Him?  If you ask Jesus, He is faithful to respond.  He never desires for us to stay in the darkness of our sin.  He is always calling us out of darkness into His marvelous light.  To call ourselves Christians, and to walk in rebellion to Him is to live a lie.  The truth is what makes us free.

Then, answer the following:

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).