When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
—Mark 8:34-36

Sacrifice, CHRISTLIKENESS. Growing in the likeness of Christ requires that we be willing to lay down our lives and take up our cross daily. It regularly confronts the human insistence on our own will, way, and wants.

But even as Jesus laid down His life for us, He invites us to lay down ours for His. It is not an equal exchange. He died to do for us what we could never do for ourselves—to save us and give us eternal life. But when we sacrifice for Him, that opens the way for His life to reveal even more of the glory of His way and will—to discover new dimensions of eternal love and liberty that bring freedom from bondage to our self-life.

Truth-in-Action
TRUTH: With Jesus, righteousness no longer consists of observance of an external legal code. He likens it to an apprenticeship to Himself as Master Teacher through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself has fulfilled the Law and become our righteousness. In response, let us walk as devoted disciples being faithful to Him and obedient to His commands.

ACTION: Understand and accept that discipleship means forsaking all selfish personal ambition. Know that every true disciple must take up his cross.

Drawn from a “Kingdom Dynamic” and “Truth-in-Action” notes in the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible.

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