Fresh Bread

Announcer: You are listening to Fresh Bread, Dr. Harry Reeder's daily devotional from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Harry Reeder: Luke 9:27, verse 23. "If anyone would come after me, let him, number one, deny himself; number two, take up his cross daily; number three, follow me." So there is the definition of someone who has come to Christ as a disciple to trust in him as Lord and Savior. They take up the cross, they humble themselves unto death on an instrument of humiliation and death in this world, and then they follow him.

Now, why would they do that? "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it." We want a life that is saved in Jesus and for Jesus. We're not looking to add Jesus to our life or make Jesus the priority of our life. We're looking to make Jesus our life, and Jesus sets the priorities, and then he's the one that adds the things in our life.

Then he says this: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses himself?" So in other words, are you willing to compare the toys of dust in this world to eternity? You compare that to the joy of knowing Christ as Lord and Savior? There is no comparison.

"Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in glory, in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels?" In other words, the evidence of someone who is saved is someone whose life sets up a platform for them to verbally confess the preeminence, the prominence, and the proclamation of Christ for two reasons.

Number one, that God would receive all the glory, and number two, that others might know Jesus because faith comes by hearing. The Bible says with the heart man believes and with the mouth he confesses unto salvation. It's not our confession that saves us, it's Jesus. But Jesus saves those who confess him as Lord and Savior before others in this world.

And then he makes an interesting statement to his disciples, doesn't he? He says this to them: "I tell you truly"—in other words, that's the word "Amen," by the way. He's saying, "Amen, I tell you, amen, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." Now Harry, what is he talking about?

Well, you've got a couple of possibilities. Number one, he is talking about the resurrection, that these disciples and those who are listening in will see him go to the cross, and then to the grave, and then be resurrected. In fact, the Bible says that over 500 in Galilee would bear witness.

Or he may be speaking of his ascension from the Mount of Olives, that these who are listening to him, many of them will be on the Mount of Olives when Jesus, after his 40 days of ministry, is lifted up into the glory. And the angels say, "Why stand you gazing? Go do the Great Commission, live the Great Commandment. This same Jesus will come again in like manner." So I think all of those are certainly possible.

Well, I think what he's talking about is what Peter, James, and John are about to see, and that is the transfiguration. And that sets you up for Luke chapter 9 and verse 28 and all of the excitement of the Mount of Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John go up and see him lifted up.

But right now, deny yourself. Follow Jesus because your life isn't about you. You've already lost that life. But right now, it's all about Jesus. I don't want to lose my life by signing peace treaties and ownership tickets to the things of this world. I am not my own. Nothing I have is my own. I am his and he is mine. Deny yourself and live unto him.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world? And I will take every opportunity to confess him as Lord and Savior and King of Glory. And that is another slice of Fresh Bread.

Announcer: Unlocking the relationship of baptism and the Great Commission is this month's Fresh Bread gift offer. With compassion, Dr. Reeder addresses the difficult question: What happens to a child who dies in infancy? Call 1-800-488-1888.