“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.”
—Matthew 16:24
These words strike at the heart of the self-centeredness we see so often today in the Church of Jesus Christ. There are many people who profess to be Christians and are members of a church, but their only concern for the church is what they can get out of it. The words that come from their lips are, “What’s in it for me?” They are what we call consumers. They take as much as they can for themselves, but they never contribute to the life and health of the church. They do not understand what Jesus teaches about true discipleship and how He calls every believer to live a life of self-denial.
Self-denial is a mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, and it’s a principle Jesus taught many times to His disciples. However, we must understand that Jesus is not saying to His disciples, ‘I will love you and save you if you deny yourselves.’ Rather, Jesus is saying, ‘Because I have set my love on you and have drawn you to Myself, therefore deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.’ Jesus is not talking about how to be saved, but how those who are already saved demonstrate the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in their heart by living a life of self-denial. Does your life demonstrate that you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ? “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.”
Tuesday Encouragement: March 3, 2026
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
