"For The Sake Of Others"

So again: For what reason do we need to persevere through our trials? I believe that the answer to that question is found in the very next verse, Luke 14:27, "And whosoever doeth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple." This is also stated in Matthew 10:38, "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me." Now then, let me ask a question: Is this taking of our cross to be looked at as a burden? That might be one way to look at this passage; but I don't think that is what Jesus meant; because within the text of all that He is saying here, it is more of a goal, or actually a major part of the main goal. And how does that work? Basically it works like this: 'To forsake all for the sake of others.' Why is it that? Because that is exactly what Jesus did when He came from Heaven and went to the cross; He forsook all for us; which was the major part of His goal to redeem man unto Himself. This is clearly defined in verse 33, "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple." Then to better understand what I mean by a goal, which if you know anything about goals, and what is required to have a goal, we can see from the Scriptures that are between verse 27 and 33, that there must be a predetermined acceptance within our hearts to forsake all. In those passages, Jesus speaks about two different plans; one has to do with planning to build, the other is planning to go to war. Both of which require 'counting the cost', or weighing the money in your bag for what you are setting out to do. Which basically means that we must be prepared to forsake all for Him; it is the cross that we bear. And then; the reason that I believe that it is 'For The Sake Of Others' is found in the following two verses, 34 & 35, "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Okay, let me try and paraphrase this statement in the text of all that was said, (hopefully without offending), 'If our testimony of the Lord does not hold up through a trial, then it is not worth crap.' I know what your thinking; but really, this is pretty much what our Lord was saying; He just put it in holier terms. But it is like this: We are called to be 'Salt' and 'Light', and for what reason are we called to be that? For the sake of others; that we may win others to Christ. That our testimony will be such, that others will be drawn to the Lord; and if the testimony that we put forth about our eternal life that we have been given, is such that anything of this world matters more, then that testimony of the eternal life we have been given isn't worth the dunghill. "Ye are the Salt of the earth: but if salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the Light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." (Matthew 5:13 & 14)