Latest / Reformed Thinking / Losing Life to Save It: Jesus’ Call to Follow (Mark 8:34–38)

Transcript

Losing Life to Save It: Jesus’ Call to Follow (Mark 8:34–38) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We take the research sources and
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articles you share with us and distill them into knowledge you
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can use. And today, we're stepping into
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well reformed thinking again. We are.
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We're tackling a really significant passage, Mark
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chapter 8, verses 34 through 38. It's demanding.
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Stuff. Oh absolutely.
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This is where Jesus basically defines the absolute cost of
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belonging to him. Right after Peter's big
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confession, too. Yeah, Peter says you are the
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Christ, and almost immediately Jesus has to correct him about
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what that means, especially for those who follow him.
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Exactly. And notice he doesn't just talk
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to the disciples, he calls the crowd over.
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That's crucial, isn't it? He makes this public.
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Right. It signals this isn't some, you
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know, higher tier for the Super committed.
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It's the baseline for anyone who wants to come after him.
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So our mission today, our deep dive, is really threefold.
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First, get a handle on what discipleship actually requires
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according to these verses, the non negotiables.
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Then second, unpack the logic Jesus uses.
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He talks about value gain, loss. It's almost like a spiritual
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economics why the soul matters so much.
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And 3rd, the end game, the future guarantee that makes all
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this present cost make sense. The final verdict.
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Because Jesus is shifting the focus here from who he is, which
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Peter just nailed, to the pattern required for anyone who
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belongs to him. And that pattern, it's shaped
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like a cross. Look at the structure first.
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You mentioned he calls the crowd.
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Yes, verse 34 starts and calling the crowd to him with his
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disciples. So it's public.
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This isn't a private briefing for the inner circle.
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And the argument itself is really tight, isn't?
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It fairy. It's not just a collection of
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sayings. You've got three key commands
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right up front in verse 30. The imperatives.
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The imperatives, then verses 35 through 38 give 4 stacked
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reasons or justifications that drive those commands home.
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It's like, here's what you must do, and here's why it's the only
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rational path. Action, then rationale, makes
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sense, so let's dive into those commands.
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The original language, the Greek, apparently gives us some
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clues about how these actions work.
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The grammar matters. It really does.
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Specifically, the verb tenses for the 1st 2 commands deny
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himself and take up his cross. Jesus uses what called the
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aorist imperative. Aorist that signals something
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decisive, right? A specific event or action.
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Kind of like a snapshot. It presses for a definite break,
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a settled decision. You deny self once for all.
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You take up the cross as a settled reality.
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It's the starting gun. The then the third command
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changes. Yes, follow me.
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That's a present imperative, A kolothetu.
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Present tense means ongoing, continuous.
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Exactly. It means keep on following.
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It takes those initial decisive breaks and stretches them into a
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lifelong pattern. So you make the break, you
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embrace the cost, and then you walk that way continuously.
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OK, that distinction is helpful. Decisive start continuous walk.
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Let's unpack #1 deny himself. Aparna sauce, the Yohotan.
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What is that denial actually involve?
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Well, first, what it's not. It's not self hatred or
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rejecting being human or thinking the material world is
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evil like some sort of Gnosticism.
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So it's not about hating your personality or your gifts.
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No, it's about authority. It's about disowning the self,
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the fallen self, the ego as the ultimate decider.
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It's refusing that deep seated claim to autonomy that says my
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will, my desires, my plans come first, especially when they
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conflict with God's will. So it's abdicating the throne of
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your own life. That's a great way to put it.
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You're saying I am no longer the final reference point.
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The self is dethroned as the master.
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Where does this show up? Like practically, it sounds
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abstract. It becomes very concrete.
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The sources we looked at point to specific arenas where self
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rule loves to operate. It's not just a vague feeling,
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it's about tangible choices. Give us those areas.
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Where does the rubber meet the road on self denial?
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OK, five key areas came up consistently.
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First speech. How we talk or type?
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Or type. Absolutely.
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Denying self means your words aren't driven by wanting to look
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good or getting back at someone or just venting.
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It means subjecting your tongue and keyboard to Christ's
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standards of truth and kindness, even if being blunt or maybe
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cleverly critical would feel better.
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Or score points. Ouch.
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That's a daily battle right there.
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It is second area, sexuality. Denying self here means
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submitting desires and actions to Christ's Lordship.
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It's rejecting the idea that if it feels right or if it's
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private, it's OK. It's about purity defined by
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God's Word, not personal preference or cultural norms.
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Money, possessions, finances. Self denial hits the wallet.
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It means refusing to see money as your ultimate security,
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refusing to hoard it. It means generosity, trusting
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God's provision, aligning your financial life with Kingdom
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priorities, not just, you know, building your own little empire.
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Makes sense. What's forth?
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Resentment, Holding on to anger, bitterness, grudges.
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Self denial means surrendering your right to be angry, even if
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the hurt was real. It means giving up the demand
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for personal vengeance or payback and instead choosing
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forgiveness and maybe even praying for the person.
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That's tough. Extremely.
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And the last one number 5. Image management.
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This is huge today. Denying self means you stop
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curating your public persona mainly to win approval or avoid
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disapproval. It means being willing to look
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foolish or be misunderstood or lose status because your loyalty
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is to Christ, not to popular opinion or your online brand.
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So it's about surrendering control in these really core
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areas of life. Yes, and there's a powerful
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connection made in the sources back to Peter himself, his later
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denial of Jesus. I do not know the man.
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Right, it's a sobering mirror. Discipleship starts with a
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denial, but it's denying the old master the self.
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You say I do not know that way of life anymore.
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You renounce self rule to say I am with him.
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It's a transfer of allegiance. OK, so deny self then the second
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command also aorist decisive take up his cross.
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Aratu Tan Sturan Atu. We really need to get the
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historical context right here, don't we?
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Absolutely critical. We cannot let this become
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sentimental or trivialized. In the 1st century, a cross
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wasn't a piece of jewelry or a symbol of general burdens.
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It wasn't having a bad day at work or dealing with a difficult
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relative. Not even close.
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It was an instrument of Roman execution, brutal, shameful
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public death. The picture is stark, a
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condemned criminal forced to carry the crossbeam to the place
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of his own execution. It was the ultimate symbol of
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submission to state power, defeat and agony.
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So when Jesus tells followers to take up their cross, what does
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that translate to? It means willingly, deliberately
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embracing the potential suffering and loss that comes
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specifically from allegiance to Him.
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It's accepting that following Christ might lead to public
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ridicule, social isolation, economic disadvantage, maybe
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even physical harm or death. It's the cost of loyalty.
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Precisely. It's saying yes to obedience,
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even when that obedience leads straight into hardship.
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It's confessing Christ when silence would be safer.
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It's choosing purity when compromise looks easier.
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It's aligning with his truth when that truth is unpopular or
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costly. And this isn't just a one off
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crisis moment. You mentioned a rhythm, right?
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While the taking up is decisive, erist the image implies carrying
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it, Luke's version adds daily. It suggests this posture of
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readiness for cost isn't just for emergencies.
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It's the constant contour of the path that follows Jesus.
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The road his followers walk looks like the road he walked to
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Golgotha. You keep the cross
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metaphorically on your shoulder. OK, so deny self, take up the
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cross, both decisive starting points, then the third command
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shifts gears. Follow me present imperative.
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Keep on following. This gathers up the 1st 2:00.
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Yes, it turns the initial break and embrace into a sustained way
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of life. It's about sticking close to
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Jesus, constantly aligning your life with His person, His
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teaching, His example, as revealed in Scripture day in,
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day out. This seems to require endurance
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more than maybe be the initial drama.
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It does. It requires perseverance.
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The first two might happen in a moment of clarity or crisis.
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Following is the long haul. It's the daily grind of
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obedience learning, growing, sometimes failing, getting back
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up, but always keeping oriented towards Him.
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And this command really exposes A counterfeit, doesn't it?
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Huge. It exposes the approach that
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wants to, you know, admire Jesus from a distance, maybe
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appreciate his ethics, call him a great teacher.
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But reserve the right to pick and choose which parts to
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follow. Exactly.
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Reserving the right to chart your own course, especially when
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His teachings clash with your desires or the culture's norms.
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Jesus isn't looking for fans or admirers who keep editorial
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control. He calls followers who submit to
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Him in His Word. All right, so those are the
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demanding commands. Now Jesus explains why anyone
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would possibly choose this path. He gives reasons,
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justifications. The first is this striking
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paradox in verse 35. It's a total reversal of worldly
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logic, for whoever would save his life will lose it, but
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whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save.
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It save life. Use life.
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We need to define life here. It's the Greek word psyche.
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Yes psycha, it can mean soul, but it's often broader, meaning
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the whole person, your conscious self, your existence both now
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and eternally. So saving your life in this
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context means prioritizing self preservation, your comfort,
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status, reputation, control, physical safety above all else.
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Making self protection the main goal.
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Right. And Jesus says that strategy
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ironically leads to ultimate loss.
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You end up forfeiting the very life you were trying so
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desperately to secure, especially life in its eternal
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sense, life before God. But.
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The flip side, losing your life saves it, but it's a specific
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kind of losing. Crucially specific.
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It's not just any loss or suffering.
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It has to be for my sake in the Gospels.
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Why is that qualifier so vital? Because it anchors the sacrifice
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squarely in allegiance to Jesus Christ himself and the message
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about him, His death, resurrection, lordship.
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It's not about generic martyrdom for a cause or self denial for
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self improvement, or trying to earn points with God.
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The motive has to be loyalty to Him and his truth.
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So this paradox forces immediate practical trade-offs in everyday
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life. Constantly.
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Do you trade popularity for confessing him?
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Do you trade comfort for obedience?
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Do you trade keeping a secret that protects your image for
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speaking the truth? Do you trade hoarding resources
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for generosity driven by faith? It forces you to see that
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clinging to the life defined by this world is actually the path
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to losing everything that matters.
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OK, paradox #1 clinging kills, surrender saves.
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Then comes the second reason, verses 36 and 37.
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Here the logic shifts to, well, value assessment.
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Yeah, he uses marketplace language.
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For what? Does it profit a man to gain the
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whole world and forfeit his soul?
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For what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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It's like he's asking us to do the math.
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Let's consider that first part. Gain the whole world.
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What does that even mean? It's hyperbole, obviously, but
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what's included? It's the ultimate what if?
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Imagine getting everything this world values.
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All the money, power, fame, influence, pleasure, success,
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health, intelligence, everything you could possibly accumulate
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the absolute maximum jackpot of earthly achievement and
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possession. OK, got it.
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The absolute peak of worldly success.
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Jesus says even if you could achieve that which no one
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actually does, what's the profit if in the process you forfeit
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your psyche, your essential self, your eternal standing
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before God? The answer is implied.
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It's a catastrophic loss. 0 profit, actually infinite debt.
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It makes any real world compromise look foolish by
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comparison. Totally.
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Most people don't trade their soul for the whole world, they
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trade it for much less. A promotion, a relationship,
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avoiding an awkward conversation, keeping the peace.
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Jesus. Point is, even the maximum
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possible game isn't worth it, so how much less sense does it make
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to trade your soul for these smaller things?
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And that leads into the second question in verse 37.
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What can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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The Antilagma. Right.
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Antilagma means like a ransom price, an equivalent value given
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in trade. Once your soul is forfeited,
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what currency do you have to buy it back?
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And the answer is. Nothing.
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There is no price you can pay, no amount of good deeds later,
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no apologies, no philanthropic legacy, no scientific
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breakthrough can repurchase a soul once it's lost through
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ultimate denial of Christ. The transaction is final from
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the human side. The Old Testament Psalm 49 seems
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to echo this right. Directly, Psalm 49 says no one
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can ransom another or give God the price of his life because
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the ransom for a soul is too costly.
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Payment ceases forever. It's an impossible price for
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humans to meet. So why is this soul valued so
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highly? What makes it outweigh the whole
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world? It's not primarily about our
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intrinsic abilities or anything we achieve.
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It's value comes from two things.
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One, God made humanity in his image, stamping with a unique
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connection to Him. And two, the price he set and he
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paid to redeem it, which. Connects to Mark chapter 10.
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Mark 10.45 Yes, where Jesus says the Son of man came to give his
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life as a ransom. Lutron related to antelagma.
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For many, the only adequate exchange Christ for the soul was
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the life of God's own Son. That's why it outweighs the
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world. Christ himself is the antilagma.
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This is so key for connecting Mark 8 back to grace.
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The cost we bear in discipleship, denial, cross
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bearing is not the price that saves us.
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Absolutely essential distinction.
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Our cross bearing is the response to his ransom, not the
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ransom itself. If we understand the infinite
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price he paid, it actually frees us.
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You don't have to desperately cling to worldly things for
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security. They can't buy our soul anyway,
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and we're free to be generous because he's secured what truly
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matters. So we've had the paradox of
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life, the infinite value of the soul.
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Now the final reason in verse 38 looks forward.
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It connects our choices now to a future public accounting.
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Right. This verse is the therefore that
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drives home the urgency of the previous points.
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For whoever is ashamed of me and of My words in this adulterous
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and sinful generation of Him, will the Son of the Man also be
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ashamed, when he comes in the glory of His Father with the
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holy angels? Let's break that down first.
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Ashamed of me and of my words. What does being ashamed mean
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here? It's that shrinking back.
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It's prioritizing your reputation, your comfort, your
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safety over open identification with Jesus and what He taught.
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It's being unwilling to publicly align yourself with Him when
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there's a social or professional cost.
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Is the silence when speaking out for him would be awkward or
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detrimental? Yes, or it could be actively
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distancing yourself. Maybe watering down his
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teachings to make them more palatable.
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It's letting the fear of human disapproval override your
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loyalty, Tim. And notice it's shame of me and
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my words. Both are linked.
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Very significant. You can't claim to be loyal to
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Jesus the person, while rejecting or being embarrassed
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by his actual teachings, his doctrine.
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People try that dodge. You know I love Jesus, but his
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views on XY or Z are outdated, offensive.
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Jesus binds himself to his words.
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Loyalty to 1 demands loyalty to the other.
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This feels incredibly relevant today with cancel culture social
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media pressures. Absolutely.
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Think about specific teachings of Christ and the apostles on
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things like marriage, sexuality, the uniqueness of Christ for
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salvation, the reality of sin. Voicing agreement with those
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biblical stances can easily lead to being labeled, losing
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friends, facing professional consequences.
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The temptation to be ashamed, to be silent, to equivocate, to
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compromise is intense. And Jesus calls the context this
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adulterous and sinful generation.
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He's saying the surrounding culture will likely be hostile
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to his claims. Yes, adulterous meaning
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unfaithful to God's covenant. Sinful meaning actively opposing
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His ways. He's setting the expectation.
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Aligning with me will put you at odds with the prevailing
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currents. Don't be surprised by the
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pushback. So the reason not to give in to
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this shame now is the future event described.
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Exactly. The second-half of the verse
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paints the picture of Him. Will the Son of Man also be
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ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the
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holy angels? The Son of Man that echoes
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Daniel 7, the figure coming with glory and authority.
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Yes, it's Jesus referring to himself as the ultimate judge,
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returning not in humility this time, but in full divine glory,
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accompanied by angels. It's a scene of ultimate
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judgement and vindication. And the consequence for those
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who prioritized earthly approval over him?
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Reciprocal shame. If you were ashamed to be
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publicly identified with him in his words, now he will be
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ashamed to publicly identify with you then before the Father
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and the angels. The temporary social ease you
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gained by denial results in ultimate eternal rejection.
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That temporary job you saved, That relationship you preserved
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through compromise? It won't save your soul on that
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day. But the flip side is implied
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too, for those who weren't ashamed.
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The implication is clear, and other passages confirm it.
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Like Matthew 10.32, those who openly confessed him, who bore
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the cost of allegiance, he will openly confess them before his
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Father. The shame they endured now will
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be replaced by unimaginable eternal honor them.
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So this final judgement, this eschatological reality, totally
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reframes the value calculation we make today.
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It has to Knowing that final public verdict is coming and
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that it's administered by the glorified Christ Himself should
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make the potential gains and losses of this life look
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incredibly small. The promise of His well done and
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His public acknowledgement outweighs any threat or bribe
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the world can offer now. It gives courage to bear the
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cross. Hashtag tag point.
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Theological synthesis and application connecting the Mark
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8 passage to Reformed thought. OK, we've walked through the
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commands and the reasons. How does this incredibly
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demanding passage fit within a broader Reformed understanding
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of the Christian life? It sounds like heavy law.
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It is heavy law in verse 34 exposing our natural self
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centeredness, but the whole passage only makes sense within
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the context of grace, first and foremost free grace.
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Meaning this self denial and cross bearing doesn't earn
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salvation. Absolutely not.
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That goes back to the antilogma. The price was paid solely by
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Christ's ransom sacrifice, Mark 10.45.
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Our losing life is the result, the necessary fruit of having
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been saved by grace through faith, not the means of
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salvation. It upholds justification by
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faith alone. We deny self because He bought
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us, not to buy ourselves. That's a vital balance.
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What about union with Christ? This passage flows directly from
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that reality. Why do we deny self, take up a
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cross and follow Him? Because, as Paul says in
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Galatians 2.20, we have been crucified with Christ.
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Our old self received its death sentence there.
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It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
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Our lives. Lives are now bound up with His,
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so our path takes on the shape of His path, the way of the
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cross leading to resurrection. Life union gives us both our
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standing and our pattern. So you see a law gospel rhythm
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even within these verses. I think so.
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Verse 34, the commands functions like the law.
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It shows us the standard, exposes our inability and our
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ingrained self worship. Then verses 35 to 38 bring the
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gospel perspective, the value he places on us paid by his ransom,
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the certainty of future glory, the warning against fatal
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compromise. The law shows the need.
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The Gospel provides the motivation and the security to
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obey. And that phrase me in my words
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in verse 38 connects to Sola Scriptura.
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Definitely. Our allegiance isn't to a vague
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spiritual idea of Jesus, or to our own interpretations or
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feelings about him. It's tied to his words, his
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doctrine, the specific revelation he entrusted to the
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apostles, and which we now have in Scripture.
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That rules out making up our own version of Christianity or
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editing His teachings to fit the times.
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Loyalty is to the Christ revealed in His Word.
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OK, thinking about these theological anchors helps us
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spot counterfeits. How does Mark Eight challenge,
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say, prosperity teaching? Well, it's almost the polar
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opposite, isn't it? Prosperity teaching often
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suggests faith is a means to earthly gain, comfort and
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health. Jesus here explicitly says the
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path involves losing life for his sake, taking up a cross, an
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instrument of suffering and death, with the promise being
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future glory, not present ease. Mark 8 expects loss now.
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What about moralism or legalism? Trying to earn God's favor
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through strenuous effort. Mark 8 undermines that by the
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logic of the ransom. Verses 3637 show that no amount
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of human effort, including rigorous self denial, can
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possibly pay the price for the soul.
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Legalism tries to use the cost of discipleship as the currency
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for salvation, but Jesus makes it clear the currency is his
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life alone. Our obedience's response, not
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payment. And mysticism where personal
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experience, Trump's doctrine. Verse 38 anchors loyalty firmly
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to my words. While experience is part of the
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Christian life, it must always be judged by and submitted to
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the objective truth of Christ's teachings in Scripture.
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Discipleship isn't following inner voices or feelings.
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Primarily, it's following the revealed Word of the Shepherd.
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You can't be ashamed of a feeling, but you can be ashamed
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of his specific, sometimes difficult words.
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Lastly, pragmatic or antinomianism, the idea that we
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can downplay obedience for effectiveness or that grace
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makes obedience optional. Mark 8 is a strong corrective
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here. Jesus facing a crowd intensifies
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the demands. He doesn't soften them for
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recruitment purposes. He refuses to trim the truth to
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win followers. And he clearly links saving
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faith with active following and costly allegiance.
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Countering any idea that grace means we can just believe
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intellectually and then live however we want.
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Confession and Cross Bearing are not optional add-ons.
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So let's bring this home. How does this passage translate
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into a practical daily life strategy for someone listening
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right now? It's not just a one time event.
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Right, Luke's version. Adding daily is key.
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It means we need to constantly ask, what are my current savings
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plans, the ways I'm trying to protect my comfort, my
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reputation, my security? That might actually be subtle
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forms of denying Christ or avoiding the cross.
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Like specific career ambitions that require ethical compromises
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or managing relationships to avoid any friction over faith.
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Exactly. Or even just how we manage our
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time or money based on fear rather than faith.
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It's about identifying those areas where self preservation
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clashes with open loyalty to Christ and his words, and then
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consciously choosing his way, trusting the paradox that losing
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leads to saving. Can you give some concrete
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examples of what that daily surrender looks like?
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Sure. We touched on them earlier
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guarding your speech, especially online asking could I attach
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Christ's name to this comment or post?
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If not, delete it. It means being ruthless with
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sinful patterns, not negotiating with temptation but actively
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cutting it off, turning a resentment into prayer for the
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other person it's about. Specific actions, not just
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intentions. Yes, and it often takes shape
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publicly within the church community.
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Think about the public markers of allegiance.
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Like baptism in the Lord's Supper.
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Precisely. Baptism isn't just symbolic,
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it's a public declaration of union with Christ's death and
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resurrection. Often the first costly step, the
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Lord's Supper, is a regular public proclamation of
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allegiance to his death until he returns.
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These aren't private acts, they're community based
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declarations of where our loyalty lies.
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And belonging to a local church itself is part of this.
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It has to be. Following Christ isn't a solo
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journey. We need the mutual
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encouragement, the accountability, the teaching,
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the shared witness of a faithful congregation sometimes just
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showing up week after week, submitting to oversight,
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participating in the life of the body.
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That is a form of cross bearing in a culture that prizes
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individualism. Ultimately, it sounds like the
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key is letting the future reality reshape our present
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choices. That's the engine letting the
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certainty of Christ's glorious return and His final just
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judgment reprice everything now resting in the gospel.
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That He paid the ransom gives us the security to obey.
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Knowing the future honor He promises gives us the courage to
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face present costs. It studies are resolved.
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And even when we fail, because Peter, the one who heard this
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first, famously failed later. And Peter was restored.
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That's crucial. The call isn't to perfect
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performance, but to a settled direction of allegiance.
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When we stumble, when we are ashamed momentarily, the grace
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that saved us is also the grace that restores us, picks us up
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and calls us back to open confession.
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The goal isn't never failing. It's perseverance and candid
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witness fueled by his grace. Hashtag tag outro.
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Well, this has been quite a deep dive.
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Mark 8.3438 lays out the stark reality of following Christ.
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It seems the paradox is unavoidable.
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The only way to truly save your life, your psycho, is to hand it
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over completely to the one who bought it with his own life.
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That's the heart of it. We have to stop evaluating our
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lives using the world's currency, status, comfort,
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approval. Jesus uses the extreme example,
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gaining the whole world to show that even that is worthless
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compared to the soul, compared to standing rightly before God,
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Self denial, cross bearing, following him.
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It's the only path that aligns with reality.
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So as we wrap up, maybe a final thought for you, the listener to
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carry through the week. Think about this.
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Where did silence benefit you this past week?
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Where did holding back your allegiance to Christ or His
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words perhaps gain you some small comfort?
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Avoid conflict or protect your image.
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Reflect on that fleeting reward. And then contrast it, really
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contract it with the staggering promise of verse 38, the Son of
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Man coming in glory, and the possibility of him speaking your
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name with honor before the Father and all the holy angels,
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because you are not ashamed of Him.
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Let that future reality shape your choices today.
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A powerful thought indeed. The King is coming, Let's live
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like it. Until next time, keep digging
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into the word.