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.

³⁸ And ^(A)whoever does not take his cross and ^(B)follow me is not worthy of me.

^27 (A)Whoever does not ^(B)bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Stewards of God's Grace

4 Since therefore ^(A)Christ suffered in the flesh,^{[a] (B)}arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for ^(C)whoever has suffered in the flesh ^(D)has ceased from sin, ^2 (E)so as to live for ^(F)the rest of the time in the flesh ^(G)no longer for human passions but ^(H)for the will of God.

²¹ And Jesus, ^(A)looking at him, ^(B)loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, ^(C)sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have ^(D)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross ^(C)daily and follow me. ²⁴ For ^(D)whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ^25 (E)For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For ^(F)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed ^(G)when he comes in ^(H)his glory and the glory of the Father and of ^(I)the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not ^(J)taste death ^(K)until they see the kingdom of God.”

¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(A)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(B)will be persecuted,

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(A)deny himself and ^(B)take up his cross and follow me.

Paul's Ministry to the Church

²⁴ Now ^(A)I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh ^(B)I am filling up ^(C)what is lacking in Christ's afflictions ^(D)for the sake of his body, that is, the church,