Jesus said in Mark 8:34-38, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Upon reading Jesus’ words, some might conclude that taking up one’s cross is (another) means to salvation. However, Scripture is clear that there is only one way for sinners to be saved: by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ for what He accomplished on their behalf at Calvary.
However, with that said, Jesus’ sobering proclamation about taking up one’s cross was ultimately one of death—death to oneself to obtain eternal life, which is the basis of salvation. To put it another way, a sinful life and lifestyle leads to eternal death, but repenting of one’s sinful life and lifestyle to embrace Jesus by faith leads to everlasting life.
This “death component” of salvation is key because redemption is not granted to those who merely want to escape sin's eternal consequences (by saying the sinner's prayer) but continue a sinful lifestyle. Hebrews 10:26-27 warned of such foolishness, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” Therefore, salvation involves a change of mind, resulting in a change of direction and accompanying actions, which is what “taking up one's cross” is all about.
In essence, sinners cannot be saved unless they (first) recognize their spiritually depraved condition and the eternal consequences of their sins. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Likewise, Romans 3:10 states, “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one.’” Also, Matthew 13:40-42 declares, “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Next, sinners must repent of their sins and sinful lifestyle, which means to change their minds about pursuing sin and pursue Jesus and His righteousness instead. Mark 1:15 states, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” It also says in Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Lastly, Paul told those in Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea, and Gentiles in Acts 26:20, “Repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.”
Finally, sinners must confess their sins to God and trust Jesus for their forgiveness and salvation, relying entirely on His gift of grace, not themselves or their works. Proverbs 28:13 states, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Romans 10:9 states, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It also says in Romans 10:13, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Additionally, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Those who genuinely repent and put their faith in Jesus have inevitably denied themselves and taken up their cross to follow Jesus. For as Jesus said in Mark 8:35, “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
I hope this information helps clarify the meaning of taking up one’s cross and how it relates to salvation.
