跟隨基督意謂著甚麼？

詩篇110:7 他要喝路旁的河水，因此必抬起頭來。

羅馬書8:17既是兒女，便是後嗣，就是上帝的後嗣，和基督同作後嗣。如果我們和他一同受苦，也必和他一同得榮耀。

既然聽到基督說：祂本人必須經歷苦難和死亡，才進入祂的榮耀（路加福音24:26），我們就必須知道：祂在地上的國度（就是基督教世界）也必須如此經歷。祂是榜樣，所有基督徒必須效法祂的模樣。因此，從最初起，祂的國就必須忍受十字架和苦難，我們必須跟隨這條穿過不幸、迫害、羞恥、和死亡，進入榮耀和生命的道路。

如果我們的主和頭，必須做成這事，為什麼我們要期待更好的事呢？總而言之，在這位主裡面的人，無論是誰，都必須讓他自己習慣於和主一起喝苦杯，受苦難，為了要和主一起復活進入榮耀之中。這也是聖保羅說的（羅馬書8:17）。——馬丁路德 (AE 13:347)

Following Jesus Means ……

Psalm 110:7 He will drink from the brook by the way;therefore he will lift up his head.

Romans 8:17 if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Having heard that Christ, in His own person, had to enter into His glory through suffering and death (Luke 24:26), we are to know that so it must also be for His kingdom on earth, that is, for His Christendom. His person serves as a model, and all those who are Christians must conform to His image. For this reason His kingdom has had to endure the cross and suffering since the beginning of time; and we must follow the path to glory and life through misery, persecution, shame, and death. If He, our Lord and Head, had to do this, why should we expect something better? To sum it up: Whoever will be under this Lord, must accustom himself to drink and suffer with Him on the way in order that he may be raised to glory with Him, as St. Paul says (Rom. 8:17). (AE 13:347)