We should understand that Christ is speaking symbolically here. He is not commanding us to wear a crucifix around our neck or wrist. Such a worship aid violates the Second Commandment. What He is talking about is reckoning ourselves as dead through self-denial so we can follow the One who redeemed us from the death penalty so that we could have life.
As it is used in this passage, the cross—the stake—is a symbol of self-denial and losing our life for a greater purpose, just as Christ did. It is a symbol of great personal cost. The fact that we must take up our stake daily means that we must lift it every morning and crucify our carnal nature, plus anything else God asks us to give up, until we go to sleep. Then the next morning, we rise and shoulder again those things we must bear, crucifying the flesh again. This practice begins at baptism, but it does not end until our final breath.
It is easy to forget that our lives are not our own to direct. We are not masters of our fate and captains of our soul, as William Henry penned in his poem, Invictus. Our life debt has been paid, and continues to be paid, which means that every breath and every drop of blood belong to our Redeemer. Therefore, our continual thought must be an evaluation of what He wants for us, and what we need to do to follow Him as closely as possible. Our lives must conform to His. As it says, this involves self-denial, particularly regarding this world.
Notice that Christ is not saying here we must choose between Him and a life of sin. That goes without saying, but commandment-breaking is not what He warns against here. Instead, we must choose between Him and anything that interferes with following Him—things that may not be sinful by themselves, but which are not what He would have us do. We can see this in His statement about gaining the whole world. The principle of gain is not sinful. Yet He warns that a wrong pursuit could cost us eternal life.
In his February 21, 2026, sermon “What Kind of Life Do you Want?” David Grabbe said, paraphrasing, “In times of societal imbalance and institutional decay, history reminds us—much like the trials faced by the Hebrews—that survival requires radical reorientation, not superficial reform. For believers, this means restoring the supremacy of Christ and placing Him first, embracing not a life of worldly fulfillment or prosperity-driven self-optimization, but the distinct calling granted to the baptized—a lifelong path of self-denial and sacrifice.” As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die," echoing Luke 9:23-26's summons to daily cross-bearing—crucifying the old self, relinquishing even legitimate pursuits that rival full devotion, and resisting materialistic complacency. Baptism begins this dying, yet it continues as the old nature resists surrender. Delighting in the Lord reshapes desires toward righteousness (Psalm 37:4-6) and aligns with seeking first the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33), trusting God to provide what is needed.
