Title

Observer or Experiencer

Scripture
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
(Matthew 16:24)
Devotional
To proclaim the person of Christ is to accept the work of Christ; they cannot be separated. To think, as believers, that we can walk through this life without having been crucified with Christ is a great misconception. (1) To say that we are followers of Christ without experiencing His sufferings is being an observer, not a follower. To experience Calvary, we will have to experience Gethsemane. Through these His sufferings we can experience the resurrection. But no, it is not our works, but the work of Christ alone.
Nevertheless, to follow Christ, one must live the crucified life. This we do by denying ourselves and placing all of our faith and trust in Christ. We must realize that there is nothing in me other than Christ that can save me and make me the kind of person He would have me to be. There can be no Calvary without a Gethsemane and without these there can be no resurrection. Therefore, remember that if we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified with Him. (2)

(1) Galatians 2:20 , (2) Romans 8:17
Thought For The Night
“Look, it all consists in the cross, and it all lies in dying; and there is no other way to life and true peace within.” Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
 
Evening Text
Matthew 16:24: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Looking for Answers
 
Evening Study Guide
Definition: A disciple is one who faithfully follows another. Therefore, a disciple of Christ faithfully follows Him. However, there are prerequisites of being a disciple of Christ and a few are listed in our text.
 
Reference: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps,” 1 Peter 2:21.
 
Application: “Strengthen… the souls of the disciples,  exhort… them to continue in the faith… saying,  ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’” Acts 14:22