November 21

Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. — Luke 14:27

The condition of discipleship is absolute devotion to our Master. Jesus does not mean that anyone is really to hate father or mother, or wife, or children, but that all other persons and all interests shall take second place. Christ Himself must have the first.

The great want of Christian life is a more complete surrender. We cannot serve two masters. If we choose to serve the world, we cannot serve Christ, for He accepts no half–hearted devotion. When Jesus says that if we will not renounce all we have we cannot be His disciples, He means everything that stands in the way of our discipleship. If He bids us give up anything, we are to do it. He means also, that all we are and all we have shall be absolutely His, at His disposal. This kind of Christian life is what is meant by good salt. The salt that has lost its savor is nominal Christian life, with so much of the world mixed in it that the Christian part of it is scarcely distinguishable.