Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus told his disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Jesus who came to die for our sins (salvation), tells us to deny ourselves take up our cross and follow him. Isn’t this ironic? Jesus is boldly telling us we have an responsibility along with him to our salvation. Notice he didn’t mention he was going to carry our cross for us. We were told to carry it for ourselves.

He spoke about being afraid of dying, death to the worldliness, but to live according to the will of the Father, when he says not to save your life or you’ll lose it and in losing it for him you’ll find it. And finding it means everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death. Why then would you want save your life to live in constant sin, rather than to lose it for righteousness and live forever?

Crosses belongs to the world and being in the world we all have crosses to carry. But God’s kingdom which has come through Jesus the cross is the key to the kingdom.