Your Best Life Now? pt 2

Luke 9:23-25
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

These 3 verses completely go against the popular teachings of today from men such as Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Rob Bell, Brian McClaren and sadly many many more. We see in these verses what the true cost of being a disciple of Christ is. The three conditions of this are clearly laid out in that we first have to deny our self. Which is more than just a denial of certain things, but instead a rejection of a life that is based on our own self interest and the fulfillment of worldly things. Next is the command to take up our cross. You might easily take that verse lightly but we must understand that when Jesus was speaking these words the cross was a emblem of a horrible and painful death. Just as today we see the electric chair as the source of capital punishment that is what Jesus was basically referring to here. This is not a command to go out and seek death, but instead that we should be willing to suffer unto the the possibility of death for Christ. 1 Timothy states that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" so why do we expect a life of ease and fluff when we are told what we will have when we are living in Christ? Last we see the we have to follow Jesus. Basically this is easy. Follow Jesus and no one else. Just as He stated in John 14:6 there is no other way but Jesus Christ!

25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

This has become a verse that I am trying to make a motto for my own life. To me it is pretty much asking what is you soul worth? Are all of the treasures of the world worth spending an eternity in hell and completely separated from God? Would you sell you right eye for a million dollars? Then why would you sell your soul for less?


Christ came to this earth not to give us a better life here, He did not suffer a painful death on the cross so that we could have a lot of money and be happy happy and He did not rise from the grave so that we could demand anything and everything that we want from Him. No He done all of that because without it we would have no hope. We would be living a life of nothing because apart from Him we are nothing. He is not our "magic genie" He is our Lord and Savior. Our Master! So instead of asking what Jesus can do for us We should be asking how we can glorify Him. Because that is what the Christian life is. To glorify God and God alone. He does not need us we need Him. It is an awesome thought to me that Jesus willingly gave His life for me and gave me eternal life for nothing I had done, but through everything He has done. I did not have to do anything to earn that. But I want to live a life that serves Him daily.