Mark 8:31-38 What does it mean to be a Christian?

The Choices we make

Every day of our lives we make choices. When you got up this morning, you made a choice about what you would wear today, you made a choice about what to eat for breakfast, and you made a choice to come to church. Some of the choices we make are very small. The decision to wear white socks instead of black socks, is not likely to change your life! But we also make very important decisions in life. Decisions about relationships, marriage, children, where to live, what we want to do with our lives. Every moment we are faced with choices. Some of the choices we make may determine the what happens over the next 24 hours of our life, some may determine the next 40 or 50 years of our lives. There is only one choice however, which we all must make, which will determine what happens to us, not only in this life, but in the life to come. This is the decision about whether we choose to give our lives to God, or reject him. William James said, “When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.” Many people choose to reject God, without even being aware of it, because they live their lives as if God does not exist. They may say they believe in God, but that is quite often as far as it gets. What does it mean to be a Christian? I have heard a variety of explanations of what it means to be a Christian over the years. Sometimes people have said to be a Christian means to be a nice person. But based on this description most people could be described as Christians. I can think of lots of nice people who I know, who are not Christians. Some people believe that because you are born in a Christian country that makes you a Christian. But it doeesn’t, anymore than being born in a MacDonalds makes you a hamburger. Others say, I believe I God, does that make me a Christian. But the answer is No. The Bible tells us that even the Devil believes in God. Others might say, a Christian is someone who goes to church. But the answer to this is that going to church in itself does not make you a Christian. I go into school regularly, but it doesn’t make me a teacher. A Christian is someone who follows Jesus Christ, and who has a relationship with God through Jesus.
In our Gospel reading Jesus said that “If you want to follow me, you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” There are two things Jesus tells us that we need to do:

1) Deny ourselves
2) Take up our cross

But what does this actually mean?

Denying Ourselves

By denying ourselves, Jesus is saying we need to renounce self. In other words, we need to put God, and not ourselves at the centre of our lives. It is about letting God be the one who is in charge of our lives. It is about putting God in the number one spot, rather than ourselves.
What Jesus asks of us, is in actual fact incredibly counter cultural. As a rock star Alice Cooper, is very famous. What is probably less well known, is that he recently became a Christian. And in an interview about becoming a Christian this is what he said. “People think it’s ironic that Alice Cooper, this rock ‘n’ roll rebel, is a Christian. But it’s the most rebellious thing I’ve ever done. Drinking beer is easy. Trashing our hotel room is easy. But being a Christian – that’s a tough call. That’s real rebellion.”

To put God first in our lives is not easy, especially living in Britain today. Martin Luther said “Here is what Christian living entails: wishing in all things whatever God wishes; desiring his glory, seeking nothing for oneself, either now or in the hereafter.” Many people find this difficult. This is why many people find it easier to live their lives their way rather than God’s. C.K Chesterton said “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it’s been found difficult and not tried.” Being a Christian is not easy, in fact it can be quite tough at times, but the rewards are even greater. There is a hunger deep within the human heart. Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:35). In other words, ‘If you want your hunger satisfied, come to me.’ Many people are walking in darkness, depression, disillusionment, and despair. They are looking for direction. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). Many are fearful of death. Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’ (John 11:25-26). So many are burdened by worries, anxieties, fears and guilt. Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28). They are not sure how to run their lives or who they should follow. Jesus said, ‘Follow me’ (Mark 1:17).

Take up your cross

The other instruction Jesus gives is to ‘Take up your cross’. Mark was writing this gospel for Christians living in Rome, who were undergoing persecution. It would have been a familiar site to see a condemned man carrying his cross to the place of execution. This theme of having to suffer for your faith would have been very relevant for the Christians in Rome. And today many Christians around the world face real persecution for their faith. But living in this country, we do not have to face the same hardships. So what does Jesus actually mean by ‘taking up our cross’? It means being prepared to surrender everything to God, giving our whole life over to him, submitting our lives to him. Just as Jesus submitted himself to the will of his Father. There is actually a great paradox in what Jesus is saying, because it is when we surrender our lives to God, that we discover true freedom.

The challenge facing the Christians in Rome was that facing persecution they had two choices. They could deny Jesus, and save their lives, or confess their faith in Jesus, and face the consequences of such an action. They had a choice that we all have, to either reject or accept Jesus. But the choice we make will have eternal consequences. Jesus warns “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” CS Lewis put it like this. “When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in? This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.” We all have a choice to make, we either choose to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus. Or we choose to reject him. Which will it be?