Matthew 10:37-40

Matthew 10:37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

What a wonderful sight, then, the church is as it passes through this world. The head of it is Christ, the cross bearer, and, following in the train, are all his faithful disciples, all carrying crosses still the very picture of a church. You know how Simon carried the cross after Christ: he is the type of all his disciples.

«Did Simon bear the cross alone,

And all the rest go free?

No, there's a cross for everyone,

And there's a cross for me.»

Matthew 10:38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

You gain life by dying for Christ, but if you saved life by denying the faith, you would in the worst sense lose all that makes existence to be life. There is an existence which is nothing but eternal death, and this is the doom of those who depart from Christ. But blessed are they who can give up this temporary mortal life for the sake of an eternal one. I have heard of one who used often to boast of what he would do if it came to his being burnt; but just before the day on which he was to be burnt alive for the faith, he recanted. He was suffered to go home. In a few months it happened that he was burnt alive in his house. Unhappy man that could not burn for Christ, but had to burn after all. «He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.»

Matthew 10:40. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Think of that, you that have received Christ. You have received God himself, and he has come to dwell and reign with your soul.

This exposition consisted of readings from 1 Peter 1:1 and Matthew 10:37.