And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

DENY YOURSELF

From Dr. William Hendriksen:

What, then, must a person do to be considered a true disciple? Well, if he wishes to come behind me, says Jesus, then first, he must deny himself; that is, he must once and for all say farewell to the old self as it is apart from regenerating grace. A person who denies himself gives up all reliance on whatever he is by nature and depends for salvation on God alone. He turns away in dismay not only from whatever thoughts and habits are patently sinful but even from reliance on “religious” ---for example Pharisaic –thought patterns that cannot be harmonized with trust in Christ. See II Cor. 10: 5. He must be willing to say with Paul, “Such things that once were gain to me these I have counted loss for Christ…” See Phil. 3: 7 – 11.

Secondly, he must take up his cross. The underlying figure is that of a condemned man who is forced to carry his own cross to the place of execution. However, what the convict does under duress, the disciple of Christ does willingly. He voluntarily and decisively accepts the pain, shame, and persecution that is going to be his particular ---note: his, not someone else’s---lot because of his loyalty to Christ and his cause.

Finally, he must begin to follow and must keep on following Jesus. Here following the Master means trusting him (John 3: 16), walking in his foot-steps (I Peter 2: 21), and obeying his commands (John 15: 14) out of gratitude for salvation in him (Ephesians 4: 32—5: 2).

We must be careful, however, not to conceive of this self-denial, etc., in a chronological fashion, as if the LORD were exhorting his hearers to practice self-denial for a while, then after a lapse of time to take up and carry the cross, and, once having shouldered that burden for another time-period, to follow Jesus. The order is not chronological but logical. Together the three indicate true conversion, followed by life-long sanctification…Conversion (as well as the process of sanctification that follows it), though certainly a human responsibility, is impossible without regeneration (John 3: 3, 5), which is the work of the Holy Spirit in man’s heart. Moreover, that Spirit does not leave man to his own resources once the latter has been reborn, but remains with him forever, enabling him to do what otherwise he would not be able to do. It is, nevertheless, human responsibility and activity upon which the emphasis falls here in verse 34 ff.

“…let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

From J. C. Ryle: Salvation is undoubtedly all of grace. It is offered freely in the Gospel to the chief of sinners, without money and without price. “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8, 9). But all who accept this great salvation, must prove the reality of their faith by carrying the cross after Christ. They must not think to enter heaven without trouble, pain, suffering, and conflict on earth. They must be content to take up the cross of doctrine, and the cross of practice---the cross of living a life which the world despises, and the cross of living a life which the world ridicules as too strict and righteous overmuch. They must be willing to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to fight daily with the devil, to come out from the world and to lose their lives, if needful, for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s. These are hard sayings, but they admit of no evasion. The words of our LORD are plain and unmistakable. If we will not carry the cross, we shall never wear the crown.

Let us not be deterred from Christ’s service by fear of the cross. Heavy as that cross may seem, Jesus will give us grace to bear it. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4: 13). Thousands and tens of thousands have borne it before us, and have found Christ’s yoke easy, and Christ’s burden light. No good thing on earth was ever attained without trouble. We cannot surely expect that without trouble we can enter the kingdom of God. Let us go forward boldly and allow no difficulty to keep us back. The cross by the way is but for a few years. The glory at the end is forever.

Let us often ask ourselves whether our Christianity costs us anything? Does it entail any sacrifice? Has it the true stamp of heaven? Does it carry with it any cross? If not, we may well tremble and be afraid. We have everything to learn. A religion which costs nothing, is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come.

A Prayer from Puritan Pastor & Theologian John Howe (1630—1705)

LORD---while I thought I was free, I was a servant to corruption. What have I done, LORD? I have lived to myself, and not to you. I have been a stranger to you. I will through your grace be so no longer.

But now, LORD, through your mercy, I have learned to abandon myself. Your grace appeared and taught me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. You have overcome: enjoy your conquest.

I am sorry that you had to contend for and conquer your own. I repent.

So LORD, I here lay myself, and all that belongs to me, entirely at your feet. All things are of you, and I bring them to you in a willing, joyful offering. What I have in the world is more yours than mine.

I desire neither to use nor possess anything without it being for your sake and by your permission.

Flow in with all the mighty powers of your own love upon my soul. You who can raise up children from stones, and make them the true, genuine sons of Abraham---and there can be no such children, without love---dissolve this stone, this stone that is my breast.

Soften this stubborn heart, and turn it into love, Amen.

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason