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That was said to and for the Circumcision Jewish people. Christ did not say the nations must do that. The apostle Paul, who is the apostle of the nations never told us if we lose our life (lit. soul) we would find it. We are saved by grace and NOT by anything we do or fail to do.
If we follow Christ we need to deny ourselves. This message at the time certainly included death for following Christ. Today that risk isn't as great, at least here in the states. If a man deny Christ and lives for his own desires (money-power-etc..) and gains the whole world.... he really has nothing. His soul will be lost in exchange for temporary things. If you live for Christ you find life and if you die for/with Christ you will gain eternal life.
If we follow Christ we need to deny ourselves. This message at the time certainly included death for following Christ. Today that risk isn't as great, at least here in the states. If a man deny Christ and lives for his own desires (money-power-etc..) and gains the whole world.... he really has nothing. His soul will be lost in exchange for temporary things. If you live for Christ you find life and if you die for/with Christ you will gain eternal life.
No, if the Circumcision believer follows Christ THEY need to deny themselves.
The apostle Paul, who was chosen by the risen Christ to be the apostle of the nations, never ever said we have to deny ourselves or we won't make it.
Denying self is to deny any thought that is not spiritual to take root within yourself.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
So when a thought is not in line with the knowledge of God we deny it entrance .
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jim Elliott, a missionary martyred in the Amazon, said it another way: "A man is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
Jesus was saying that this world and life are only temporary and insignificant in the context of eternity and things of eternal value. If our lives are lived as disciples of Christ who truly seek and worship God in Spirit and Truth, we will discover that any sacrifice on earth for His sake, will be recovered a hundred fold in God's eternal kingdom. If our lives are instead lived for self and worldly things, apart from God, we will discover, to our eternal shame, that nothing we gain on earth will amount to a hill of beans in eternity.
And the guy in the middle is the one on the left and the guy on the left is the one on the right and the guy on the right looks down his nose at the one on the bottom..........And he who is lost shall be found and he who is shut will be opened and the ups shall be down and the ins shall be out......... see I can chant that stuff too.
What does any of the mumbo-jumbo have to do with being a Christian? You talk a good line. Where are your actions?
The "any man" of the context is the "any man" of the Jews of Jesus' audience.
Like I said before, Paul was hand picked by the risen Jesus Christ to be the apostle of the nations. Paul never ever ever stated any such thing as what Jesus said the Jews must do. Our administration is completely different being an administration of GRACE . . . un-earned grace . . . gratuitous grace . . . we didn't earn it by anything we do or did and can't lose it by anything we do.
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