Take Up Your Cross

Jesus calls for self-denial and cross-bearing, and he says that losing life for his sake and the gospel leads to true saving.

T³⁴hen Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.

He sets the value of the soul above the world and warns that shame before him will meet shame when he comes in glory.

³⁶What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”