McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: Ge 38, Mk 8, Job 4, Ro 8
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37For what can a man give in return for his soul? Mark 8:34-37
Wow. Lest we forget Jesus puts it to us bluntly, we have either forsaken all else to follow Christ or we have none of Christ. We can’t sit on the fence. This reminds me of something I read yesterday in J.I. Packer’s book, The Quest for Godliness, as he writes about the lessons the Puritans helped him to understand: “Readiness to die [is] the first step in learning to live.”
I think we forget the greatness of our future hope. Paul reminds us Romans 8,
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.
