"If any of you wants to be my follower you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. If you give up your life for my sake, you will find EVERLASTING LIFE!"
Do you believe in heaven? Do you believe in EVERLASTING LIFE? If you believe in eternity are you sure where you will spend it and what Jesus Christ has promised you? It does not matter whether you believe in eternity or not, your soul and spirit is eternal and the only relevant question is where you will spend eternity! The question is will you have everlasting life, or instead everlasting separation from God and eternal punishment! The truth for today tells us that if we want to find and have eternal life we need to turn from selfishness and to Jesus Christ! We have to be careful not to be bent on saving our life here on earth at the expense of everlasting life. Taking up the cross of Jesus Christ and giving you life to Him ensures that you will have eternal life.
This scripture encourages us to make the right decision. Jesus wants us to become His disciples and take up His cross and follow Him. That is the only way that you can save your life. If you make a choice not to do this you will loose your life! We have to turn from our selfish and earthly ways and take on a heavenly prospective. We must deny ourselves and take on the interests of our Lord instead of our own. We are to do the will of the Father in Heaven and forget our own will. We are to do this until the end of our earthly life. You can not save yourself and neither can anyone else but the Lord. Jesus Christ is Life and without Him you will lose everything.
If you are willing to give up your life for His sake, He promises us eternal life in Heaven. What a blessing to look forward to, eternal life in the kingdom of God. The Lord offers perfection and everlasting peace if we follow Him and take up His cross. This free gift can not be purchased at any price except to believe the Lord and His Word. That is why the bible tells us that it would profit us nothing if we gained the whole world and lost our eternal soul. You could not exchange your wealth for eternal life. The choice is up to each individual and the consequences are clear. Reject the Lord and be separated and damned forever, or accept the Lord and take up your cross and follow Him and receive EVERLASTING LIFE!
