Matthew
16:24 « Then Jesus said to his
disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up
their cross and follow me»
1
Peter 4: 1-2 «Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also
with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2
As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human
desires, but rather for the will of God. »
Christ's
calling is not to live a life of constant joy and happiness on earth. Only
those willing to follow Jesus in all circumstances, strengthened by their faith
in the promise of eternal salvation, respond to it. Thus, it is easy to discern who loves God
above all else from those who love their lives more. We understand, then, that
quantity does not matter to God, only quality. He does not want a large church
filled with people driven by the desires of their flesh. Rather, He wants a
church of disciples who love Jesus and are willing to make the necessary
sacrifices to live a life of consecration. This idea was inspired by a sermon
from Pastor Indy at my church. https://www.youtube.com/live/XBcMk7R2Lso?si=BHBX3c1jyEk0tgQD).
The
idea of giving up everything for God is not only found in the New Testament; it
is also repeated several times in the Old Testament. Everyone God used to
accomplish his plans had to give up everything and devote their lives to him:
Abraham (Hebrews 11:8), Noah (Hebrews 11:7), Moses (Hebrews 11:24), Samuel (1
Samuel 1:21–28), Jacob (Genesis 28:10–22), and many others. They all gave up
everything by faith. Jesus expects the same level of faith from us through His
calling to take up our cross and follow Him. Taking up our cross does not mean
quitting our jobs, cutting ourselves off from civilization, or moving into a
cave. It is a call to consecration that concerns the quality of our hearts and
lives. Jesus asks us to live a consecrated life in public and especially in
private. He asks us to devote ourselves completely to him and to live
according to his teachings through the grace of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26:
" But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.").
We should not live according to the "trends" of this world that
contradict Scripture to please the crowd. True disciples abstain from sex
before marriage even though it is socially "acceptable" to have
multiple sexual partners ("friends with benefits," etc.). They do not
allow themselves to be swayed by peer pressure and say "no" to
alcohol and drugs. They say "no" to everything society accepts that
goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ, regardless of the consequences.
The
Gospel of Jesus Christ is not only about miracles or wonders related to
material things. Rather, it is a way of life that produces the fruits of the
Spirit. A true disciple of Jesus is recognized by his resemblance to his
Master, not by his material wealth. Resembling Jesus means living by the Spirit
and producing the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5 : 22-26 « But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who
belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us
not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. »
