Christ or Judgment

²⁶ For if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate], ²⁷ but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God].^(A)

Exacting Discipleship

⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”^{(A) 58} And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ He said to another, “Follow Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and ^[a]bury my father.”^{(B) 60} But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”

²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]. ²⁵ For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.