Key Verse: Matthew 10:38 

“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of me.” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book called The Cost of Discipleship. If you’ve never read it, I encourage you to get a copy and read it, it will help you grow spiritually. One of the concepts Bonhoeffer writes about in this wonderful book is the idea of cheap grace. What is cheap grace? Cheap grace is that concept of grace that is so common in our American churches today. It is the concept of following Jesus at no cost. Its the belief that we can be a Christian and live like hell, its that belief that following Jesus requires no sacrifice. This idea of grace, salvation, and discipleship is foreign to the Word of God as Bonhoeffer rightly points out continually in his book. If people would open up their Bible they too would see this truth. This is the truth that Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 10:38. Jesus is telling us that if we are not willing to take our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him. What does Jesus have in mind here when speaking of taking his cross? The cross is a symbol of suffering, and for Jesus specifically its a symbol of sacrifice, because it was on a cross that He sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world! For us, the cross mentioned here reminds us that to truly follow Jesus one must make great sacrifices. The cross that some of us must take up is an addiction, an attitude, or even a relationship, etc.  There are many things we have to sacrifice to rightly follow Jesus. 

If we are unwilling to make these sacrifices Jesus says we are not worthy to follow Him. This means that genuine faith, genuine salvation is characterized by a sacrificial attitude. We have to be ready to sacrifice anything and everything to truly follow Jesus. Discipleship demands sacrificial living. It demands giving up sinful addictions, it demands forgiveness of those who have wronged us. It demands Christlike behavior!! What is God calling you to sacrifice to better follow Him?