Read Luke 9:21-26
Be RADICAL for JESUS! Not LOST in your SELFISHNESS.
Jesus warns the 12 disciples that the Son of Man MUST Suffer, MUST Be Rejected, MUST Be Killed and three days later be Raised To Life. Jesus emphasizes that these things MUST happen. It’s important that these things happen in order for our sins to be forgiven and have salvation for our souls. The picture Jesus presented of himself doesn’t sound good but it’s the best thing that could ever happen for us.
Then Jesus says this if you want to be my disciple it also requires the WILLINGNESS to also suffer, be rejected, and even be killed.
Jesus gets radical with his statements when he says:
1. Any followers of Christ must deny themselves. Denying self means denying our selfish desires, our own plans, and our own will so we can experience God’s will over any and everything else. This means we are willing to follow Jesus wherever he leads.
2. To accomplish this, it requires taking up our cross of “denying ourselves” daily because the devil will daily try and steal our hearts from the Lord.
3. Whoever wants to save their life because they are unwilling to go through the persecution and hardships of the Christian walk will eventually lose their life in hell. But whoever wishes to lose their life for Jesus on Earth will save it for eternity in heaven.
4. Jesus also said whoever is ashamed of him and his words, he will be ashamed of them on judgment day.
I know this all sounds radical but anything less than this is selfish. We’re on this Earth for one purpose and that’s for the glory of God. Anything less than that excludes him. Jesus help me to deny myself daily. I want to be radical for Jesus not lost in my selfishnesss.
