Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Let us consider what Jesus said in these few words. If any man will come after me... If any man will become a believer, if any man will become a Christian - I’m sure most will agree that Jesus was talking about any man becoming a Christian.
...let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Will any believer deny what Jesus said in John 3:19-20?
“…Light is come into the world, and [lost] men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
Now just in case anyone thinks Jesus is not the light to which He was referring in these verses needs only to look at John 8:12 and John 9:5, in both of these passages Jesus clearly says He is the Light of the World. But the point is in John 3:20 Jesus said the lost man will NOT come into the Light. If a lost man will not come into the Light, how can he “come after Jesus?” How can a lost man “follow Him?”
“…Light is come into the world, and [lost] men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”
Now just in case anyone thinks Jesus is not the light to which He was referring in these verses needs only to look at John 8:12 and John 9:5, in both of these passages Jesus clearly says He is the Light of the World. But the point is in John 3:20 Jesus said the lost man will NOT come into the Light. If a lost man will not come into the Light, how can he “come after Jesus?” How can a lost man “follow Him?”
The answer is he can’t do it! If a lost man could come into the Light, i.e. follow Jesus, it would make what Jesus said in John 3:20 a lie! It would also make Paul a liar because of what he wrote to the Romans in Romans 8:8 - would not a lost man coming to Jesus please God? Of course it would. So it is clear a lost man can’t come into the Light because he can’t please God.
Only a man whom God has quickened, and given belief (John 6:29; Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and understanding (Luke 24:45; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:7) will deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.
Only a man whom God has quickened, and given belief (John 6:29; Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and understanding (Luke 24:45; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:7) will deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.
Once again Jesus’ own words disprove the belief of decisional salvation as believed by the Arminian.
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