And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? Luke, Chapter 9, verses 23-25.
I think God is telling us that we have to be totally dedicated to Him. It’s all too easy to get caught up in our daily lives and focus on getting ahead in the world. It’s especially difficult since there is so much pressure to try to keep up with the Jones’s that we might lose sight of our goal. To paraphrase what Jesus said, “What good is it to have all these worldly things and lose your Salvation in the process? If those Keep Up With the Jones's Christians change their ways and are willing to give up everything, including their worldly lives for Me, they will have eternal life in Heaven.”
Here are some related passages:
*He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. Matthew, Chapter 10, verses 37-38.
*Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew, Chapter 16, verses 24-27.
Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my walk with Christ, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verses.
