The Law of Discipleship
Mark 8:34-37 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? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
I am slowly trying to get back to physically working, and I have been really pouring myself into working on our business, to be prepared for working in our business. God has really been opening some doors, and I believe he is going to bless our business from what he has laid on my heart. I can’t begin to express the current financial strain, but I know he will provide. I am committed to tithing from our business which I have never done before. I already have in a large asset sale, stepping out on faith when we needed it the most. This is one of the ways we deny ourselves as Jesus said above in the gospel of Mark.
I love how a commentary puts it. “He takes up his cross who is crucified to the world. But he to whom the world is crucified follows his crucified Lord. This cross assumes various forms; such as persecution and martyrdom, affliction and sorrow of whatever kind, appointed by God; temptations of Satan, permitted by God for our trial, to increase our humility and virtue, and to make brighter our crown.” I wish I had written that description of being sold out for Jesus. Jesus calls us to be a disciple of his, but do we claim to be Christians and not disciples? There is a very big difference. Being a disciple is living for Christ every day; Luke 9:23 adds that those people who want to follow Jesus are to take up their cross DAILY.
This is not easy to do. The world comes at us with every temptation of sin, pleasure, success, self, and even misguided security in religion. Satan is the ruler of this world and it takes the heart of a disciple that is seeking Gods Will daily to discern from truth and falsehoods. Discipleship is a humble heart that seeks only honoring God with their little time here; spending our time working for eternal crowns and not earthly treasures; investing in the eternal kingdom and not the temporal pleasure. The law of discipleship is a law of self denial, a pattern given by the One who denied the riches of heaven to step down into hell to rescue your soul. He died for you, he came to earth and died for you to give you eternal life. There is nothing here that can compare to heaven. There is nothing here that you can take to heaven. Solomon called all these worldly pursuits and riches, “vanity of vanities.” The epistle of James tells us, whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:4-15) Seek God in prayer and his Word early each day. Pray for him to open your mind through your heart to his will for you for each day. Deny what the world is tempting you with and pursue wholeheartedly what he is showing you for eternal reward. This daily pattern of seeking Him first (Matthew 6:33), is the life of a disciple. Obeying the law comes easy for it comes from the heart.
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