Terms and conditions

By: Alistair Begg – August 28, 2026.

Key points

• Culture Eddie Pells, Associated Press, Eric Olson, Associated Press August 26, 2026.
• Supreme Court to rule on 2020 Census results that negatively impacted Mississippians.
• Alistair Begg has been in pastoral ministry since 1975.
• Mississippi State University dedicates plaza for first black student to attend the institution.
• One of the "conditions" of after Christ, then, is that our lives are no longer concerning us.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. – Mark 8: 34-35.

You can't do much online without agreeing to terms and conditions of employ. And once we have checked the "I agree" box, credit cards, social media platforms, and websites will notify us from time to time that their legal policies have changed-and that so as to continue using the services they provide, we must accept the new ones.

Changes like these can be frequent and subtle. It's virtually impossible to notice or keep track of them all. Fortunately, though, the terms and conditions of being a follower of Christ have never changed, and they never will. Since God established them, they can't be revoked or adapted to our preferences. In these verses, the Son of God is setting out the "terms and conditions" for becoming one of His individuals and being given eternal life.

We sometimes tend to act as though we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps so as to obey the Lord. But the truth is quite the contrary! The Bible notes that just as we trust in Jesus as a response to His initiative and grace (Ephesians 2: 8), so that same grace additionally sustains us and makes it feasible for us to keep after Him (Philippians 1: 6). He shapes our minds, our morals, our manners, and our means so we can be brought under the control of the one whom we've declared as Majesty.

One of the "conditions" of after Christ, then, is that our lives are no longer concerning us. Our individual identities and goals are not the priority. We are instead transformed to bear fruit that is visible to the outside world through our union with Christ. He calls us to radically denounce self-idolatry.

Through denying ourselves, we take up our cross and follow Him. Unfortunately, the metaphor of "taking up our cross" is often trivialized; we would be well served to remember that being crucified was actually one of the most brutal, horrible forms of execution that humanity has ever devised. By using the image of bearing a cross, Jesus is emphasizing that discipleship carries a great cost.

But Christ is not calling us to do anything that He has not already done. It was on a cross that He purchased us at a rate (1 Corinthians 6: 20). Walking with Him in discipleship is therefore a march both towards death to one's old self and towards eternal life. Since we are not our own, it's not a stroll but a living sacrifice. But take heart, for there is additionally beauty in that march. One day, the Son of Man will return in power and glory, and in His kingdom redeem what is broken. Until then, losing our lives on behalf of the kingdom of God is a good purchase, no matter the rate.

Regarding the Author(s).

Alistair Begg has been in pastoral ministry since 1975. After graduation from The London School of Theology, he served eight years in Scotland at both Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church. In 1983, he became the senior pastor at Parkside Church near Cleveland, Ohio. He has written a number of books and is heard daily and weekly on the radio program, Truth For Life. His Daily Devotionals are presented here via a syndication agreement. Faith Alistair Begg August 25, 2026. We all worship something.

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Mississippi State University dedicates plaza for first black student to attend the institution. News Michelle L. Cost, Associated Press August 27, 2026.

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In short, terms and conditions is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.