If we can’t die to Christ, we cannot live for Him. This is true in my life and yours. And yet, as I look around, I see so few who are taking this to heart. I see and hear those who call themselves Christians spew venom on social media, pontificate on politics, and concern themselves with so much having nothing to do with the Kingdom. Believe me, I am not immune. I am not some super-Christian who has it all figured out and diligently picks up his cross every day without fail.
This message applies to me as much, if not more than, it does to everyone else. We can’t continue to live the way we do and call ourselves followers of Jesus. We are living our lives for most of the same things the world does and deceiving ourselves by thinking God is looking the other way.
When this article publishes, it will be Thanksgiving Day in the USA. It’s a day to spend with family and be thankful for all God’s blessings over the past year and throughout our nation’s history. It was tempting to write about thankfulness and remind us all how good things are, despite a crazy and tumultuous year. But how many of us will maintain a spirit of thankfulness once we say the mealtime prayer? How many will make the sacrifice of Jesus the focus of the day? Indeed, that is the one thing we must all be thankful for today, and every day. Without the sacrifice and resurrection of the Son of God, nothing else would matter.
If you are reading this, I believe you agree with that last statement. If we believe it, why do we live most of our days as if the death of Jesus is irrelevant? The death of Jesus was a sacrifice for the sins of you and me. His resurrection provides the opportunity for us to live again, no longer dead in our sin. Despite that, we continue to wallow in pride and selfishness.
We live for our desires, focusing on our will, not His. We don’t die to Christ and we live for ourselves. Our houses look just like those of our neighbors. Our lifestyles differ little from our friends and co-workers. We want the finer things in life, to live in comfort and security, and we work long hours to make sure we have enough money to have as much as we can get.
When I look at my life, I ache to die to Christ, and I am distraught at my failure to live for Him. His example is what every follower of Jesus must aspire to. The way Jesus lived is the way each of us should live every day. His sacrifice was so great, and our response is so timid and weak. The death of Jesus demands we die to Him. His resurrection leaves us no option other than to live for Him. You can’t do one without the other. Our time is winding down. We will face our King, and He will demand an account of our life.
If we won’t die to Christ today, we will waste our lives, and I fear for each of us when we stand before our King clinging to the worthless trinkets we accumulated on earth while denying Him with the way we lived. It is time for each of us to repent and live for Jesus. We cannot wait. Tomorrow may never come. A new life dedicated to Jesus must begin today.