Let us now consider for a bit what the Lord Jesus had to say about saving and losing our life. The Lord's statements concerning saving and losing our life are of such supreme importance that they are found in all four Gospel accounts.

To Save or To Lose Our Life

The contexts of some of the following passages seem to be pointed toward the last days. Also, each passage tells us something about what it means to die in the Lord.

Now, here is a question that deserves careful thought. What is the relationship between the simple Good News of salvation through the blood, and the admonition to take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus?

About all we hear preached these days is how to "get saved." The idea seems to be that if we will "accept Christ" we are saved and will go to Heaven when we die.

If such is the case, what about the statements of the Lord that we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him? Do these statements have any force at all? Are being saved and being a disciple two different things?

I asked this question at our last Tuesday night discipleship class. One person said, "Getting saved is like winning the lottery, and denying yourself and following the Lord is like going and picking up your winnings." The consensus of the class was that getting saved starts a person on the path of salvation but if he is to reap the rewards of the Kingdom, he must keep the commandments of the Lord.

What do you feel is the relationship between "getting saved" and taking up one's cross and following the Lord Jesus? After we get saved, is it absolutely necessary to be a disciple?—to lose one's life for the Gospel's sake? What do you think?

Let us examine the passages in the four Gospels that speak of saving and losing our life and see if we think they are an important part of being saved. If they are, then we need to make some changes in our preaching in America.

How many "saved" people would remain in your church if the Pastor told them that unless they denied themselves, took up their cross, and followed the Lord Jesus they could not be a disciple?—not a true Christian?

If we preach a watered-down Gospel to people in order to get them to attend church, at what point are we going to explain to them what it really means to be a Christian? Will we ever be able to tell them the truth without having them troop out of the church as fast as they entered? Are we selling people something without telling them what is in the package?

The Lord's words are very strong in some instances. They reveal that the Gospel is not the Divine means of giving people everything they want but is slanted more toward God's needs, God's pleasure.

To be continued.