Some say all we have to do is believe in Jesus and we get to go to Heaven when we die.

Others emphasize what it means to follow Him.

Jesus emphasizes both. In fact, He points to Himself and enjoyment of God more than heaven as the end goal. God is the end goal. In Jesus, we get God Himself!

We are to never stop believing, for the finished work of the Suffering Savior is our only basis of acceptance before God. God treated Jesus like He was us, so He could treat us like we are His Son (2 Cor. 5:21). He died in our place.

Likewise, to know Jesus means we want to be like Him, and to be with Him. We want to follow Him. He is amazing! He propels us forward to walk in His steps. The two options are not in opposition. We must believe; we must follow. He does all the work.

Our passage this week is all about the mingling a mind and heart that wants to know, love and enjoy God above all else. It means enduring what He suffered, and being willing to count the cost and commit for the long haul.

Let’s read Mark 8:31-38:

31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If 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.”