Marcos 8
J.C. Ryle · Citado em PreceptAustin
Marcos 8
Ryle - But all who accept this great salvation must prove the reality of their faith by carrying the cross after Christ. They must not think to enter heaven without trouble, pain, suffering and conflict on earth. They must be content to take up the cross of doctrine, and the cross of living a life which the world ricidules as too strict and righteous. They must be willing to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to fight daily with the devil, to come out from the world and to lose their lives if need be for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s. These are hard sayings, but they cannot be evaded. The words of our Lord are plain and unmistakable. If we will not carry the cross, we shall never wear the crown. (HERE IS A GOOD CROSS REFERENCE TO SUPPLEMENT MY EXPLANATION OF THE ROLE OF THE SPIRIT GIVING US THE DESIRE AND THE POWER) Let us not be deterred from Christ’s service by fear of the cross. Heavy as that cross may seem, Jesus will give us grace to bear it. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Thousands and tens of thousands have borne it before us, and have found Christ’s yoke easy, and Christ’ s burden light. No good thing on earth was ever attained without trouble. We cannot surely expect that we can enter the kingdom of God without trouble. Let us go forward boldly, and allow no difficulty to keep us back. The glory at the end is forevermore. Let us often ask ourselves whether our Christianity costs us anything. Has it the true stamp of heaven? Does it carry with it any cross? If not, we may well tremble and be afraid. We have everything to learn. A religion which costs nothing is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come. (Online - https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ryl/mark-8.html) “Every hour is the last hour. Every successive hour and day, self is to be found by being lost. Let the disciple refuse himself: let him think constantly as one who feels the weight of the hateful beam across his back and knows himself condemned to die” (Fletcher 164). Lutheran commentator R C H
Marcos 8
Ryle - The wickedness of being ashamed of Christ is very great. It is a proof of unbelief. It shows that we care more for the praise of men whom we can see, than that of God whom we cannot see. It is a proof of ingratitude. It shows that we fear confessing Him before man who was not ashamed to die for us upon the cross. Wretched indeed are they who give way to this sin. Here, in this world, they are always miserable. A bad conscience robs them of peace. In the world to come they can look for no comfort. In the day of judgment they must expect to be disowned by Christ to all eternity, if they will not confess Christ for a few years upon earth. Let us resolve never to be ashamed of Christ. Of sin and worldliness we may well be ashamed. Of Christ and His cause we have no right to be ashamed at all. Boldness in Christ's service always brings its own reward. The boldest Christian is always the happiest man. (Commentary) (Bolding added) Adam