Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 10:38-39

"And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." — Matthew 10:38-39 (ASV)

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

You gain life by dying for Christ, but if you saved life by denying the faith, you would in the worst sense lose all that makes existence to be life. There is an existence which is nothing but eternal death, and this is the doom of those who depart from Christ.

But blessed are they who can give up this temporary mortal life for the sake of an eternal one. I have heard of one who used often to boast of what he would do if it came to his being burned; but just before the day on which he was to be burned alive for the faith, he recanted. He was allowed to go home. In a few months it happened that he was burned alive in his house. Unhappy man that could not burn for Christ, but had to burn after all. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.