The MOST REPEATED Bible Principle - Part 2

This continues our previous discussion. If you haven't read it, please do because we are going to apply the most repeated Bible principle here.  Click the link below for Part 1

The MOST REPEATED Bible Principle - Part 1

Note that "MOST REPEATED Bible Principle" means that this is the MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE TO CHRIST HIMSELF! Unless we have dealt with these, our following him is worthless because Christ himself will not consider us as true followers. We do not want to make false assumptions and go through the motions of being a Christian if at the end, Christ will just say, "Depart from me you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you! (Matthew 7:21-23)"

So, what does it mean to deny yourself? What does it mean to take up your cross? These are truly important because Jesus Christ said many times that these are the prerequisites to following him.

Are there any other passages of Scripture that explicitly declare this principle? Yes, there are, and they will already give us ideas as to how to apply this principle.

1. The first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me". God expects his people to have no other priorities, no other passions, no other preoccupations, no other pursuits, goals, ambitions, objectives in this life other than to give all of themselves to God, God's project, God's kingdom, God's goals alone. Luke 17:7-10 is quite illustrative and, mind you, even many pastors, ministers and other bond servants (slaves by choice) of God are guilty of this. Roy Hession outlines it clearly in "The Way of the Cross":
1. A bond servant must be willing to be given one job after another, even if he is already tired from a hard day's work. Most of us complain
2. A bond servant has no rights. We always act as if we have some rights
3. A bond servant must be willing to work hard and not expect any thanks for serving since he is just doing his job. A hired servant may expect some wages but not a bond servant.
4. A bond servant may not tell the master that he is selfish or inconsiderate when he is being given so many things to do
5. After serving, a bond servant must not feel proud that he is a good servant. He just did his job and does not deserve any thanks for it.
6. After serving humbly and without complaining, we must admit that we have done nothing more than our duty to serve.
2. Whereas the first of the Ten Commandments commands us to have no other focus but God, the Great Commandment mentioned in the Torah and in each of the first three gospels tells us to have no other love but God, and we have to love God will ALL our heart, with ALL our soul, with ALL our mind, and with ALL our strength. God expects everything in our being to love God in response to his love for us. Because of this God expects us to leave behind everything else in this life in order to love him truly. No man can serve two masters, either he will love one and hate the other. He cannot love both at the same time with the same quality and intensity.

Application? "None of self and all of Thee" - hymn written by Theodore Monod in 1874