Question: “I understand & believe the Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith alone, so what exactly does it mean when the Bible instructs us to “deny yourself & take up your cross” and “if you love me, you’ll follow my commandments” and similar verses warning against hypocrisy and lukewarm faith?”
Answer:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
This is a call to discipleship, which is supposed to be after salvation. Specifically, the call is to come AFTER Jesus. Salvation is to come UNTO Jesus. Discipleship is hard because the world will persecute the disciple and their flesh will be against their new desires to follow Christ. However, Jesus will reward those faithful disciples because they followed after Him.
Salvation and discipleship are separate in the NT. This is because one (salvation) is a free gift and the other (discipleship) is a life long series of choices made by the believer to yield to the new nature and follow Christ.
Discipleship is not joyless labor. Consider these words from Jesus:
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.” (John 15:9-17)
Brother, it is truly a wonderful life to serve the risen Savior Jesus Christ.