The Cross as the Call to Discipleship and Self-Denial and the Glory of the Cross as the Foundation for Christian Hope

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In Paul’s understanding of the cross, it is not only the instrument of atonement and reconciliation but also the ongoing pattern for Christian living. The cross defines the believer’s relationship to the world, to sin, and to personal ambition. To belong to Christ means to take up the cross figuratively every day in discipleship, self-denial, and obedience. The cross stands as the dividing line between a life centered on self and a life wholly surrendered to Jehovah through Christ.

Paul makes this truth plain in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” The phrase “I have been crucified with Christ” expresses not literal physical death, but the believer’s moral and spiritual death to self-rule and self-exaltation. The old person, enslaved to sin and the world’s values, has been put to death so that the new life of faith and obedience to Christ may emerge.

This call to radical self-denial and discipleship echoes the Lord’s own words as recorded by Luke: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Though Paul does not record these words directly, his entire life and teaching bear witness to the reality that discipleship is a path of daily surrender and endurance.

Paul contrasts the mindset of discipleship with that of the Judaizers and others who gloried in outward religious forms. In Galatians 6:14 he says, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” The cross severed Paul’s ties to worldly status, human approval, and the pursuit of fleshly ambition. The disciple of Christ is no longer to be guided by the patterns of this fallen world (Romans 12:2), but by a continual yielding to the will of Jehovah.

Discipleship according to Paul’s teaching also includes willingness to suffer for Christ. In 2 Timothy 3:12 he states, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The cross not only reconciles but also marks the believer for opposition from the world. Paul’s own body bore the “marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17), referring to the physical scars of beatings, stonings, and imprisonments he endured for the sake of the gospel (2 Corinthians 11:23-25). The disciple must count the cost (Luke 14:27-33).

Yet the call to discipleship is not merely negative or harsh. Paul speaks of it as the pathway to life and joy in Christ. In Romans 6:11-13 he writes, “So you too consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God.” Self-denial is not deprivation for its own sake but the yielding of oneself to the life-transforming power of Christ.

Paul also connects discipleship with sanctification. Believers are not simply forgiven at the cross but are called to grow in holiness by putting to death the deeds of the flesh. In Colossians 3:5-10 Paul commands, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry… Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it.” The cross provides the power to forsake sin and to walk in obedience.

This process of dying to self and living for Christ also guards against apostasy. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to self-examination: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). The disciple’s life must continually reflect the reality of being crucified with Christ, or else faith risks becoming lifeless and empty (James 2:26).

Discipleship as self-denial further extends to the believer’s mission to serve others. Paul demonstrates this spirit of sacrifice in 1 Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more.” The disciple willingly limits personal liberties to avoid stumbling others and to win souls to Christ. Paul did not live for himself, but for the glory of Jehovah and the good of others.

The cross as a call to discipleship stands in complete harmony with the believer’s freedom of choice. Nowhere does Paul teach that salvation or sanctification is imposed irresistibly upon the disciple. Rather, it requires conscious, ongoing cooperation with Jehovah’s will (Philippians 2:12-13). The call to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) is a continual summons to remain faithful and obedient.

For Paul, the cross is not only the means of redemption but also the pattern of discipleship. The believer is to die daily to sin and selfishness, endure suffering for Christ’s sake, pursue holiness, serve others, and persevere in obedience. The path of discipleship is inseparable from the cross. It is the daily, deliberate commitment to follow Christ, not out of coercion, but from the free, willing love of the redeemed soul.

The Glory of the Cross as the Foundation for Christian Hope

For Paul, the cross is not only the decisive act of redemption but the unshakable foundation of the believer’s future hope. The world viewed the cross as a symbol of disgrace and weakness, yet to Paul and to all who have faith, it is the ultimate demonstration of Jehovah’s wisdom, love, justice, and power. It is the fixed anchor for all Christian assurance of present standing before God and future inheritance in the kingdom to come.

Paul emphasizes that the cross guarantees peace with Jehovah in the present life. In Romans 5:1-2 he declares, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” The believer’s hope of sharing in Jehovah’s glory is entirely grounded in the completed work of Christ at Calvary.

The cross also assures the believer of resurrection. Death is no longer the final enemy to be feared, for Christ’s triumph over death through the cross and His resurrection provides the pattern and promise of the believer’s own future life. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” The guarantee of resurrection rests solely on Christ’s sacrificial death and victorious resurrection.

This hope extends to the believer’s participation in the future kingdom. Paul explains in Romans 8:17, “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” The believer’s present suffering and endurance are inseparably tied to future glory. The cross teaches that the path to eternal life runs through faithful endurance, suffering, and obedience, not through ease or human merit.

For the select few who have been called to share with Christ as kings, priests, and judges in heaven, the cross is the gateway to that privilege (Revelation 20:6). For the vast majority who look forward to everlasting life on a restored earth (Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5), the cross remains the indispensable basis for their inclusion in Jehovah’s redemptive plan. All Christian hope, whether heavenly or earthly, flows from the same sacrificial fountain.

Paul makes it clear that this hope is not passive. In Titus 2:11-13 he exhorts, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” The cross calls the believer to holiness while awaiting the fulfillment of eternal promises.

The certainty of Christian hope rooted in the cross also provides strength in trials. Paul reminds the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The assurance of the cross allows the believer to persevere in the face of adversity.

However, Paul never disconnects this hope from the necessity of faithfulness and endurance. He teaches that the believer must remain grounded and steadfast to inherit the promised reward. Colossians 1:22-23 warns, “yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard.” The cross opens the way, but perseverance completes the journey.

The Christian hope grounded in the cross also points forward to the final removal of sin, suffering, and death. Paul speaks in Romans 8:21-23 of the coming liberation: “that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and the redemption of our body.” The cross assures that this redemption will come to pass in Jehovah’s perfect time.

Finally, the cross gives certainty that Satan and all opposing powers will be permanently destroyed. Paul writes in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The cross of Christ sealed Satan’s defeat at Calvary; the full execution of that judgment awaits the end of the premillennial reign of Christ and the final destruction of the devil (Revelation 20:10).

In conclusion, the cross is the supreme basis of Christian hope. It guarantees peace with Jehovah, the certainty of resurrection, the promise of participation in the kingdom, the assurance of final victory over all evil, and the everlasting joy of life in Jehovah’s presence. This hope is certain and firm yet remains conditional upon the believer’s enduring faithfulness. The cross is both the starting point and the guarantee of the ultimate consummation of all of Jehovah’s promises.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).