Matthew 6:25 CSB “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

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Professors of Jesus Christ seek two things. They are wealth and pleasure. “What’s wrong with that?” some might say. Should these be our number 1 goals in life? Or should it rather be the cross?

Luke 9:23 CSB “Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY, and follow me.” ’ 

Jesus says any who wants to be His disciple must take up their cross daily. Most professing Christians don’t live that way. They seek personal wealth and pleasure just like everyone else. Their way of life isn’t set apart from the world. They know how to quote a few Bible verses. And sadly that’s it. They’re not experiencing God’s power because they’re not living for God. They feel entitled to riches and forbidden pleasures. Since God owns everything He wants us to own it all too some say. How delusional to ignore what Jesus says about denying self, and taking up the cross. If there were anyone entitled to all this world’s riches and comforts it would be Jesus Christ Himself. Through Him God made everything. (John 1:3 Colossians 1:16 Hebrews 1:2) Yet for years Jesus chose to live like this:

Matthew 8:20 LEB “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 LEB “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.”

Do you know any rich people who would intentionally become poor to enrich others? You do if you know Jesus.😊 Many don’t care to remember that Jesus was homeless for at least 3 and a half years of his life on earth. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 the word, “Poverty,” in Greek means, “Beggary.” Jesus didn’t care if people thought he was a bum or a homeless Rabbi. His ministry came first. Caring for others came first. Not His comforts or pleasures. Jesus’ lifestyle enabled Him to reach people the wealthy preachers could never reach. Some will think I’m implying everyone must become homeless to be like Jesus. Nope, not at all. I am emphatically saying if our life is about riches and pleasure in this world we are not like Jesus Christ! We are Laodicean Christians at best. The Lord is not pleased with them. (Revelation 3:14-22) We must repent.

WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT?

What’s more important to us? Living for God? Ministering to the poor like Jesus did? Or pursuing personal wealth and pleasure? Are we the real Christians who take up his or her cross daily, and follow the Master? Even if this brings rejection from family members? (Matthew 10:34-38) Or are we seeking a bed of roses? Have we chosen the easy path? This is why many are Christians in name only. They seek roses, not a cross. Jesus never said to seek the easy life. If we do we are ignoring Him who says:

Matthew 16:24-26 LEB “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me will find it. ²⁶ For what will a person be benefited if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life?”

All who seek to save their lives lose them Jesus says. And those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake find life indeed! (John 3:16) This is a hard truth because it goes against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:15-17) Give it all up Jesus says. Renounce what your flesh wants, what your eyes see, and your materialistic way of life. They’re of this world and not from the Father. They will lead you to hell. But let’s say we achieve all this; we get our wealth, our comforts, our pleasures. When we die what can a person give in exchange for his or her soul? Nothing. It was all a waste.

Only a few seek the cross Jesus talks about. Because they realize it is the only way to eternal life. There is no getting around it. We can’t enter life any other way:

Matthew 7:13-14 ESV “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

The narrow way that leads to eternal life is hard. It involves enduring tribulation, rejection, etcetera. (James 1:2-4 2 Timothy 3:12) It involves crucifying our flesh. It entails becoming unselfish and loving others who don’t even love us. (Matthew 5:43-48) Are you willing to stand out like a sore thumb on the road less traveled? Bearing our cross is painful. And the cross is an instrument of death. That’s why only a few ever find this road Jesus says. Most worship money, worldly success, comforts, and pleasure. I know, I used to be one of them. I had to be the number 1 sales rep wherever I worked. And sometimes I was. I thought I knew God but was filled with worldly pride of life (materialism). I was headed straight for hell. I read all the success books that teach you how to make money and become rich, blah blah blah. The whole time I was worshipping myself. I wasn’t seeking a cross. I wanted a bed of roses.

How sad it will be to find out you are bankrupt in the day of judgment. That you have no money to pay your outstanding sin debt. Rejecting the ransom sacrifice of Jesus leaves one’s soul impoverished. “But I did receive Jesus as my savior,” some may say. Receiving Jesus also means receiving Him as Lord. That means obeying His commands. Not just saying, “I believe in Jesus,” like a nursery rhyme. (John 14:21) Jesus commands all His followers to take up their crosses DAILY and follow Him. Not pursue a bed of roses in this world. How can one claim to have a relationship with Jesus yet be unwilling to suffer for Him? (1 Peter 2:19-21) Is that how a relationship works? One party goes through all the pain, suffering, and tribulation. While the other party plays in a bed of roses.🌹🤔 Nahh.

Let’s not be deluded brothers and sisters. Pray to God for help in this. Make it our goal to learn how to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow the Master. He will help us do it. We cannot enter eternal life any other way.

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