Matthew 16: 24: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Jesus adds the requirement of denying yourself as a condition of discipleship (see Matthew 10:38). The true disciple does not seek fame, power or comfort. The cross was a sign of a cruel, violent and shameful death. Yet, Christ is calling His disciples to be so totally committed to Him that not even the threat of a violent death would not deter them. Think about the courage of that first church. People were willing and many died from persecution. One of the reasons that the church is so weak today is because it is filled with false professors of faith. They may have "accepted Jesus," "made a decision for Jesus," or said the sinner's prayer. None of these things will save you. Only true repentance with faith will enable you to become a new creation. The old creation will feint in the presence of true persecution. Only the person with true faith can stand up to the abuse and torture that the earlier believers faced. They could face the pressure because they were a new creation. So, what's your story? Are you new or old?
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