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Luke 9:23–24 and the Other Verses of Luke 9:18–27

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“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”

Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively.  Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior.  Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This webpage could be periodically updated.  If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated.  Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.  

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When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:  

“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Note:  The heart refers to the mind.  

It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:  

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”

It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:  

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”

A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned.  In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher.  Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:  

If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship:  whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living.  As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.

Note:  Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites.  Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM].  The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges.  The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity.  The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness.  In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human.  When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god.  Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.  

The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind.  In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:  

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession.  Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram.  Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:  

Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.

The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:  

Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.  Also, it is still much more evident:  that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life.  Indeed, it is attested:  “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Note:  The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah.  Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body.  The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.  

Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest.  In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family.  Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:  

However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE.  You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Note:  Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people.  In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people.  The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23.  In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.  

Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Put succinctly:  itʼs the message rather than the messenger.  In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:  

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that.  I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book.  Worship God.”

*Note:  The word says is in the Greek historical present tense.  By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.  

Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated.  That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:  

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews.  Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.

Note:  The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”  

Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday.  The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies.  Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies.  While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah.  Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared.  Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life.  Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.  

Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:  

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.  Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

Behold, I tell you a mystery:  we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation.  The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation.  1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic.  In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.  

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.  While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.  However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day.  We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober.  Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.  However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.  Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Note:  In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent.  In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context.  Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!”  In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness.  The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture.  In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation.  Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

The verses of the day for April 12th are Luke 9:23–24.  The title of the book Luke is also known as “The Gospel According to Luke.”  The book Luke was written by Luke.  He also wrote The Acts of the Apostles.  

Because it is useful to study verses in the context of the verses around them, below is content related to Luke 9:18–27.  The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.  

Note:  In the notes for Luke 9:26, the Rapture and the Second Advent are referenced.  With regard to the Rapture and the Second Advent, below is a synopsis of human history as categorized into time periods known as dispensations.  In the below synopsis, there is the term hypostatic union [high-PUH-stat-ick YOON-yuhn].  This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being 100% Deity and 100% humanity.  The English word hypostatic is derived from the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word ὑπόστασις [pronounced hoo-PAH-stah-sees and transliterated as hypostasis].  After the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of humanity, His body was in the grave for three days and three nights.  He was then resurrected, and He was on the earth for forty days after He was resurrected.  He then ascended to Heaven, and ten days after that, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] occurred.  The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Church Age.  The word Pentecost is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντηκοστή [pronounced pen-tay-kah-STAY and transliterated as pentēkostē].  That word is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντήκοντα [pronounced pen-TAY-kahn-tah and transliterated as pentēkonta], which means “fifty.”  Therefore, the word Pentecost is derived from the fact that that day occurred fifty days after the Lord was resurrected.  In that regard, the Church Age began fifty days after the Lord was resurrected.  The Church Age will end with the Rapture.  The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies.  Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies.  Absent from the Bible is anything specifically indicating the precise date and time when the Rapture will occur, although it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026.  

Regarding the word judgment, the proper way to spell that word is without an e between the dg and the m.  In that regard, the e of the root word judge is dropped when the suffix ment is added to that root word.  The formation of the word judgment is shown below.  

judge −e +ment

= judg +ment

= judgment

Another way to categorize human history is by means of civilizations.  Civilizations begin only with believers.  Regarding the timing of civilizations and dispensations, the first civilization began with Adam and ended on the occasion of the Great Flood (also known as the Flood).  That civilization is known as the antediluvian civilization and the predulivian civilization.  In that regard, the prefixes ante and pre mean “before.”  Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time before the Flood.  Those spellings include antediluvian, ante-diluvian, prediluvian, and pre-diluvian.  

After the Flood, there were only eight believers on the earth:  Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sonsʼ wives.  With the removal of the unbelievers from the earth on the occasion of the Flood, a new civilization was started.  That civilization is known as the postdiluvian civilization (also known as the postdiluvial civilization).  Regarding the terminology, the prefix post means “after,” and the adjectives diluvian and diluvial mean “having to do with a flood.”  Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time after the Flood.  Those spellings include postdiluvian, post-diluvian, postdiluvial, and post-diluvial.  The postdiluvian civilization will end on the occasion of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  On the occasion of the Second Advent, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the earth.  Their removal will be by means of physical death just as the removal of all unbelievers was by means of physical death on the occasion of the Flood.  This is called the Baptism of Fire, which is either a metaphorical description because fire can be used to represent judgment or a literal reference to the use of fire in the judgment of unbelievers on the occasion of the Second Advent.  The Baptism of Fire is referenced in Matthew 3:11–12; Luke 3:15–17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9.  

Just as a new civilization started after the Flood, so also a new civilization will start after the Baptism of Fire.  That civilization is called the Millennium.  The Millennium is both a civilization and a dispensation.  The Eternal State is also both a civilization and a dispensation.  

Luke 9:18

Then it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  

Note:  In this verse, the pronouns He and Him refer to the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Luke 9:19

They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, but others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, has risen.”

Note:  Inside the square brackets below, the letters i.e. are used to represent the phrase that is.  The two letters are an abbreviation for the Latin words id est, which mean “that is.”  When one reads those two letters, one can either say, “eye ee” or “that is.”  If one is reading out loud, and if any hearers of that reading are unaware of what the letters i.e. represent, it is best to say “that is.”  Also, the letters i.e. need to be followed by a comma.  

Luke 9:20

Then He said to them, “However, Who do you say that I am?”  Then Peter answered and said, “The Christ [i.e., Messiah] of God.”

Luke 9:21

However, having warned them, He commanded them not to tell this to anyone, 

Note:  At the time of the occasion which is described in this verse, the time was not right for the Lord to be revealed as the Savior.  That time would come later.  

Luke 9:22

saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”  

Note:  The content of this verse involves the Lord prophesying about Himself being resurrected.  The word elders as used in this verse refers to the members of the Sanhedrin [san-HEE-drin or san-HEHD-rin or sahn-HEE-drin or sahn-HEHD-rin], which was a council of Jewish authorities.  The phrase chief priests in this verse refers to members of the Levitical priesthood.  During the time period described in Luke 9, the Mosaic Law was still in effect.  The Levitical priesthood was part of the regulations of the Mosaic Law.  The term Mosaic Law refers to the laws communicated by Moses to the ancient Israelites.  Because Moses communicated those laws, they are known collectively as the Mosaic Law.  Under the Mosaic Law, the Levitical priests were responsible for conducting rituals, including various sacrifices, some of which involved the sacrificing of certain animals.  The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law by being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity.  Now that the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Mosaic Law, people should refrain from sacrificing animals because such sacrifices have been invalidated by the Lord Jesus Christʼs fulfilling of the Mosaic Law when He received the judgment for the sins of humanity.  The word scribes in this verse refers to Jewish scribes.  During the time period described in Luke 9, Jewish scribes seemed to be experts regarding the Mosaic Law when actually they lacked understanding regarding the Mosaic Law.  

Luke 9:23

Then He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me, 

Note:  Rather than being a literal reference to carrying a cross, the reference to a cross in this verse is metaphorical.  That metaphor involves a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ being prepared to suffer as a result of obeying the Word of God.  While a believer might not suffer every day as a result of obeying the Word of God, a believer should be prepared every day to suffer as a result of obeying the Word of God.

Luke 9:24

“for whoever wishes to save his life/soul will lose it, but whoever loses his life/soul for My sake—he is the one who will save it.  

Note:  In this verse, both instances of the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek noun that is used to refer to the soul of a person can also be used to refer to the physical life of that person.  That Koine Greek noun is ψυχὴν [pronounced psoo-KHAYN and transliterated as psychēn].  That noun is an inflected form of the root word ψυχή [pronounced psoo-KHAY and transliterated as psychē].  In that regard, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the saving referenced in this verse refers to eternal salvation or to believers being saved from physical death—or to both.  If the saving referenced in this verse refers to eternal salvation, then this verse indicates that the people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior and who are then persecuted for believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior—with that persecution resulting in physical death—will still experience eternal salvation even though they are persecuted to the point of physical death.  Also, if the saving referenced in this verse refers to eternal salvation, then this verse also indicates that the unbeliever who refrains from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior because that unbeliever wishes to avoid being persecuted to the point of physical death will ultimately miss out on receiving eternal salvation.  Also, absent from this verse is anything indicating that a person must lose his soul/life for the sake of the Lord and the sake of the gospel in order for that person to receive eternal life.  

If the saving referenced in this verse refers to believers being saved from physical death, then this verse indicates that even though a believer who learns and obeys the Word of God is persecuted to the point of physical death because of bringing glory to the Lord by means of the believerʼs unselfishness and because of sharing the gospel with people, that believer will be spared from experiencing the sin unto death.  The sin unto death involves an early physical death.  For a believer who physically dies after the Day of Pentecost, that early physical death involves an early departure to Heaven.  The departure to Heaven of a believer who experiences the sin unto death is an early departure in the sense that it occurs at an earlier time than it would have occurred if the believer had regularly remained in fellowship with the Trinity.  The topic of the sin unto death is covered in 1 John 5:16.  Rather than the content of 1 John 5:16 referring to some particular sin that is categorized as the sin unto death, the content of 1 John 5:16 refers to sinning in general that results in a believerʼs physical death occurring earlier than it would have had that believer regularly remained in fellowship with the Trinity.  

While the believer who is martyred for obeying the Word of God dies physically, the physical death of such a believer can be referred to as dying grace.  The term dying grace refers to a condition of contentment while experiencing the transition to Heaven by means of physical death.  In contrast, the physical death experienced by a believer undergoing the sin unto death is a miserable experience.  Also, if the saving referenced in this verse refers to believers being saved from physical death, then this verse also indicates that the believer who refrains from obeying the Word of God because that believer wishes to avoid being persecuted to the point of physical death will experience the sin unto death.  In addition, absent from this verse is anything indicating that all believers who obey the Word of God will be martyred.  Furthermore, absent from this verse is anything indicating that a believer must be martyred in order for that believer to experience dying grace.  In that regard, a believer can experience dying grace without being martyred.  

Luke 9:25

“Indeed, what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?  

Note:  Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding verses is whether the content of verse 25 refers to unbelievers, to believers who refrain from obeying the Word of God, or to both.  If the content of this verse refers to unbelievers, then this verse calls attention to the fact that even if an unbeliever were to own all of the world, the owning of the world would be of zero benefit for the unbeliever because unbelievers will miss out on experiencing eternal life.  If the content of this verse refers to believers who refrain from obeying the Word of God, then this verse calls attention to the fact that even if a believer who refrains from obeying the Word of God were to own all of the world, the owning of the world would be of zero benefit for that believer because that believer would experience the misery of the sin unto death.  

Luke 9:26

“Indeed, whoever is ashamed of Me and My words—the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and of the Father and of the holy angels.  

Note:  Unspecified in this verse and the preceding verses is whether this verse refers to unbelievers, to believers who refrain from obeying the Word of God, or to both.  If this verse refers to unbelievers, then this verse indicates that the Lord will reject unbelievers when the Lord arrives to the earth on the occasion of the Second Advent.  If this verse refers to believers who refrain from obeying the Word of God, then this verse indicates that the Lord will indicate disapproval of those such believers on the occasion of the Rapture.  The Rapture will occur seven years before the Second Advent.  

The Lord Jesus Christ is the One to Whom the title Son of Man refers.  That title calls attention to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is 100% human.  He is also 100% Deity, as mentioned in the above notes related to the hypostatic union.  

Regardless of whether the content of verses 24–26 refers to unbelievers, believers, or both, unbelievers need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior, and believers need to learn and obey the Word of God.  Every unbeliever who keeps refraining from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior until that unbeliever experiences physical death will experience eternal judgment instead of eternal life.  Every believer who keeps refraining from learning and obeying the Word of God until that believer experiences physical death will experience the sin unto death and will miss out on eternal rewards that that believer could have received if he or she had been learning and obeying the Word of God.  

Regarding the foregoing, the solution for the unbeliever is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior.  In that regard, below is content related to John 3:14–16 and Ephesians 2:8–9.  

John 3:14–16

As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8–9

…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.

Also regarding the foregoing, the solution for the believer is to learn the Word of God while filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and then obey the Word of God while filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit.  In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity.  After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored.  The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1.  Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30.  In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit.  Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.  In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer.  After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.  

Luke 9:27

“However, I say to you truthfully:  there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”  

Note:  The content of Luke 9:27 refers to the occasion of the Lord Jesus Christ being temporarily transfigured into a glorified form on the Mount of Transfiguration, the topic of which is covered in the content of Matthew 17:1–8; Mark 9:1–8; and Luke 9:28–36.  On that occasion, the disciples Peter, James, and John saw the Lord Jesus Christ in a glorified form.  Also, appearing with and talking with the Lord on the occasion of His transfiguration were Moses, the leader of the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt, and Elijah, the Old Testament prophet whose time on earth came to an end by means of being taken up to the heavens by a tempest—in other words, a violent windy storm—the topic of which is covered in the content of 2 Kings 2:11–12.  Regarding the word heavens, Elijah was taken up into the atmosphere of the earth and disappeared from the sight of the prophet Elisha.  In that regard, the atmosphere of the earth can be referred to as the first heavens (also known as the first heaven).  Outer space can be referred to as the second heavens (also known as the second heaven).  The location of the throne room of God the Father can be referred to as the Third Heavens (also known as the Third Heaven or simply as Heaven).  Regarding the Lordʼs transfiguration on the Mount of Transfiguration, God the Fatherʼs voice emanated from a cloud on that occasion.  

Sincerely,

John