Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For ^(C)whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For ^(D)what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or ^(E)what shall a man give in return for his soul?

^25 (A)Whoever loves his life loses it, and ^(B)whoever ^(C)hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must ^(D)follow me; and ^(E)where I am, there will my servant be also. ^(F)If anyone serves me, ^(G)the Father will honor him.

¹² Let not ^(A)sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ^13 (B)Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but ^(C)present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For ^(D)sin ^(E)will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.