--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are…" description: "\"You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are not willing to follow him, cross and all. What do you crave? A crown? Then it must be a crown of thorns if yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/charles-spurgeon-82_christ_you-cannot-be-christ-s-servant-if-you-ar_2754013.png" --- # You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are not willing to… ![“You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are not willing to follow him, cross and all. What do you crave? A crown? Then it must be a crown of thorns if you are to be like him. Do you want to be lifted up? So you shall, but it will be upon a cross.” quote by Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/charles-spurgeon-82_christ_you-cannot-be-christ-s-servant-if-you-ar_2754013.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/charles-spurgeon-82_christ_you-cannot-be-christ-s-servant-if-you-ar_2754013.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/charles-spurgeon-82_christ_you-cannot-be-christ-s-servant-if-you-ar_2754013.png) > “You cannot be Christ’s servant if you are not willing to follow him, cross and all. What do you crave? A crown? Then it must be a crown of thorns if you are to be like him. Do you want to be lifted up? So you shall, but it will be upon a cross.” [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True discipleship requires embracing suffering and humility, not seeking worldly power or glory. **In simple terms:** Follow Christ even through hardship. Key Takeaway Embrace the cross, not the crown. Themes faith humility discipleship Mood reflective serious Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - personal trials - leadership challenges - spiritual growth - public ministry Key Concepts sacrifice spiritual authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to sacrifice for your faith? - How does humility reshape your ambitions? A Different Perspective The call to suffering may conflict with natural desire for comfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christian service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-service/) [Crown of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crown-of-thorns/) [Crucifixion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crucifixion/) [Following jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-jesus/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) ## Related quotes > [If you simply take the name of Christ upon you and call yourself His servant, yet do not obey Him, but follow your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-simply-take-the-name-of-christ-upon-you-and-call-yourself-his/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [You're always supposed to follow-up any cross or whatever towards the goalkeeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mcdonald/you-re-always-supposed-to-follow-up-any-cross-or-whatever-towards-the/) [Jessica McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mcdonald/) > [“Daily Jesus challenges you to follow him up on the cross so your old self can continue to be crucified, and daily you must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-fischer/daily-jesus-challenges-you-to-follow-him-up-on-the-cross-so-your-old/) [Austin Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-fischer/) > [“Your call is clear, cold centuries across; You bid me follow you, and take my cross, And daily lose myself, myself deny, And stern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/your-call-is-clear-cold-centuries-across-you-bid-me-follow-you-and/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“Who is this Servant? The Christian church has since its very beginning understood this to be Jesus Christ himself (Acts 8:32–33) and in Matthew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/who-is-this-servant-the-christian-church-has-since-its-very-beginning/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Remember, Christ willed to be born poor, and He chose disciples who were living, for the most part, in poverty. Christ made Himself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-eareckson-tada/remember-christ-willed-to-be-born-poor-and-he-chose-disciples-who/) [Joni Eareckson Tada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-eareckson-tada/) > [One of the major ways we demonstrate our new life in Christ is by becoming a servant, which means to commit ourselves to living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/creflo-dollar/one-of-the-major-ways-we-demonstrate-our-new-life-in-christ-is-by/) [Creflo Dollar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/creflo-dollar/) > [“No amount of enthusiasm will ever stand up to the strain that Jesus Christ will put upon His servant. Only one thing will bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/no-amount-of-enthusiasm-will-ever-stand-up-to-the-strain-that-jesus/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [I believe that many professing Christians are cold and uncomfortable because they are doing nothing for their Lord; but if they actively served him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-believe-that-many-professing-christians-are-cold-and-uncomfortable/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [He who does not serve God where he is would not serve God anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/he-who-does-not-serve-god-where-he-is-would-not-serve-god-anywhere/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [It has come to be a dreadfully common belief in the Christian Church that the only man who has a “call” is the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/it-has-come-to-be-a-dreadfully-common-belief-in-the-christian-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [No man ever served God by doing things tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/no-man-ever-served-god-by-doing-things-tomorrow/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The sovereign electing grace of God chooses us to repentance, to faith, and afterwards to holiness of living, to Christian service, to zeal, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-sovereign-electing-grace-of-god-chooses-us-to-repentance-to-faith/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [You cannot have Christ, if you will not serve Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/you-cannot-have-christ-if-you-will-not-serve-him/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [One of the greatest rewards that we ever receive for serving God is the permission to do still more for Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/one-of-the-greatest-rewards-that-we-ever-receive-for-serving-god-is/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## More by Charles Spurgeon > [The more holy, the more humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-more-holy-the-more-humble/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [He is not humanity deified. He is not Godhead humanized. He is God. He is man. He is all that God is, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/he-is-not-humanity-deified-he-is-not-godhead-humanized-he-is-god-he/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. 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Lend me a spiritual thermometer by which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/who-among-you-today-is-doing-the-most-for-your-master-s-kingdom-i/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I do not know when I am more perfectly happy than when I am weeping for sin at the foot of the cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-do-not-know-when-i-am-more-perfectly-happy-than-when-i-am-weeping/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Light physical is said by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/light-physical-is-said-by-solomon-to-be-sweet-but-gospel-light-is/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [If you are to go to Christ, do not put on your good doings and feelings, or you will get nothing. Go in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/if-you-are-to-go-to-christ-do-not-put-on-your-good-doings-and/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Don't you know that day dawns after night, showers displace drought, and spring and summer follow winter? Then, have hope! Hope forever, for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/don-t-you-know-that-day-dawns-after-night-showers-displace-drought/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“A mother can translate baby-talk: she comprehends incomprehensible noises. 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