Disciples of Christ

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:38

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we

keep his commandments.

1 John 2:3

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments,

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 John 2:4

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God

perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1 John 2:5

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so

to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 2:6

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for

us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1 Peter 2:21

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their

teeth.

Acts 7:54

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven,

and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Acts 7:55

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand

of God.

Acts 7:56

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and

ran upon him with one accord,

Acts 7:57

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not

this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:60

Martin D. Niemöller

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak

out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was

not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

Luke 9:24

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will

lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Luke 9:25

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and

lose himself, or be cast away?

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and

blind, and naked:

Revelation 3:17

Length of days is in her right hand; And in her left hand riches and honour.

Proverbs 3:16

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of

the holy angels.

Luke 9:26

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the

afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

2 Timothy 1:8

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works,

but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus

before the world began,

2 Timothy 1:9

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ,

who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light

through the gospel:

2 Timothy 1:10

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and

a teacher of the Gentiles.

2 Timothy 1:11

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I

know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2 Timothy 1:12

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be

ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

1 Peter 4:16

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we

shall also live with him:

2 Timothy 2:11

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

2 Timothy 2:12

Those who are engaged in the work of saving souls are co-workers with Christ.

His was a work of disinterested benevolence, of constant self-sacrifice. Those who have had so great a sacrifice made for them that they might become

partakers of His heavenly grace should in their turn sacrifice and deny self to aid in the great work of bringing others to the

knowledge of the truth.

Self-interest should be laid aside; selfish desires and self-comfort should not now stand in the way of God’s work in saving

souls. God’s ministers are laboring in Christ’s stead; they are His ambassadors. They are not to study their ease, comfort,

pleasure, desires, or convenience.

They must suffer for Christ, be crucified with Him, and rejoice that they can in every sense of the word

know the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. (Ellen G. White, Testimonies

for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 431, 432)

In the scenes that transpired in the judgment hall and at Calvary, we see what the human heart is capable of when under the influence of Satan. Christ submitted

to crucifixion, although the heavenly host could have delivered Him. The angels

suffered with Christ. God Himself was crucified with Christ; for Christ was one

with the Father.

Those who reject Christ, those who will not have this man to rule over them, choose to place themselves under the rule of Satan, to do his

work as his bondslaves. Yet for them Christ yielded up His life on Calvary.

(Ellen G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1108)

The work of righteousness cannot be carried forward unless we

exercise implicit faith.

Move every day under God’s mighty working power. The fruit of righteousness

is quietness and assurance forever. If we had exercised more faith in God and had

trusted less to our own ideas and wisdom, God would have manifested His power in a

marked manner on human hearts.

By a union with Him, by living faith, we are privileged to enjoy the virtue

and efficacy of His mediation. Hence we are crucified with Christ, dead with

Christ, risen with Christ, to walk in newness of life with Him. (Ellen G.

White, Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 201)

Now it is the same way here. Our old man is crucified, yet when God sets

forth His word that it is so, we accepting that word and

surrendering to it, it is so to each one who accepts it because the word has

the divine power in it to cause it to be so. And by that means it would be

everlastingly so, even if that were all there is to it.

But that is not all there is to it, because in Jesus Christ human

nature has been crucified on the cross, actually, literally, and that is

my human nature, that is myself in Him that was crucified there.

And therefore God sets down the record of everyone who is in

Christ, “He is crucified.”

So that by the two immutable things, by the double fact, it is so.

Therefore, we can say with perfect freedom, it is no boasting, it is not

presumption in any sense; it is simply the confession of faith in Jesus Christ, “I am crucified with

Christ.” Is not He crucified?

Then as certainly as I am with Him, am I not crucified with

Him? the word of God says so. “Our old man is crucified with Him?” Very good. Let us thank the Lord that that is so. (A. T.

Jones, General Conference Bulletin, February 25, 1895)

God will accept nothing less than unreserved surrender. Half-hearted,

sinful Christians can never enter heaven. There they would find no happiness; for

they know nothing of the high, holy principles that govern the members of the royal family. (Ellen G. White, The Review

and Herald, May 16, 1907)

While Jesus was preparing the disciples for their ordination, one who had not been

summoned urged his presence among them. It was Judas Iscariot, a man who professed to

be a follower of Christ. He now came forward, soliciting a place in this inner circle

of disciples. With great earnestness and apparent sincerity he declared, “Master, I

will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.”

Jesus neither repulsed nor welcomed him, but uttered only the mournful words: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.” Matthew 8:19, 20. Judas believed Jesus

to be the Messiah; and by joining the apostles, he hoped to secure a high position in the new kingdom. This hope Jesus designed to cut off

by the statement of His poverty. (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 293, 294)

The cross ... is to be lifted and borne without a murmur or complaint. In the

act of raising it, you will find that it raises you. You will find it alive with mercy, compassion, and pitying love.

Through bearing the cross your experience may be such that you can

say, “’I know that my Redeemer liveth,’ and because He lives, I shall

live also.” What an assurance is this! (Ellen G. White, Sons and Daughters of

God, p. 245)

It is as true now as in apostolic days, that without the illumination of the divine

Spirit, humanity cannot discern the glory of Christ. The truth and the work

of God are unappreciated by a world-loving and compromising Christianity.

Not in the ways of ease, of earthly honor or worldly conformity, are the followers

of the Master found.

They are far in advance, in the paths of toil, and humiliation, and reproach, in the front of

the battle “against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of

wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12, R. V. And now, as in Christ’s day, they are misunderstood and reproached and oppressed

by the priests and Pharisees of their time. (Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 508, 509)

The End