Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

II Corinthians

Stay Alert

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Complacency is one of the biggest threats to growing deeper in our relationship with Christ. Taking our eyes off Jesus for only a moment can reap disastrous and long-lasting results. Too often we treat our faith with a casualness that belies its eternal significance. Modern evangelicalism has so watered down the gospel to cater to our individual whims and desires that we think of Christianity as a lifestyle rather than the spiritual war it is.

Man determined to stay alert and on mission by setting his focus on discipleship and ordering his priorities around prayer and discipline

Ask any soldier what happens if you get complacent in battle and they will assure you that you will wind up dead. If you want to live a life that honors Jesus, you must stay alert. This isn’t a game. It’s an ongoing battle for the destiny of your soul.

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Can You Live for Jesus?

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Christian persecution is on the rise across the globe. It’s not just in countries where you might expect it, like North Korea, Eritrea, and Iran, but also in places you wouldn’t, like Australia and Great Britain. Perhaps, like me, as you read the horrific accounts of kidnapping, imprisonment, torture, and murder, you contemplate whether you would stand firm for Christ in similar circumstances.

Woman asking herself can you live for Jesus as contemplates her commitment, surrender, and salvation

I think most mature believers would say they are willing to die for Christ rather than deny Him as the Savior He is. I hope that is true of all of us. Even if it is, I must question the sincerity of the claim because there is a tougher question we must answer first. You say you are ready to die for Jesus, but can you live for Jesus?

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Deny Yourself

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Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, they must first deny themselves (Luke 9:23). What does it mean to deny yourself? It means you must deny your ego. You have been bought for a price, and your life no longer belongs to you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You are a slave of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:22). How could you, a slave, think more highly of yourself than anyone else (Philippians 2:3-5)?

Young man contemplating what it means to deny yourself as he seeks the discipline to surrender his priorities and live with a commitment to discipleship without fear

You don’t have the right to make your own decisions, as every choice must now align with God’s will and His Word. As slaves of Christ, we are the lowest of the low, deserving of nothing, and any good that comes our way is only by the incredible grace of our Lord and King (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are nothing, but that’s okay, because He is everything!

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Bad Fruit

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The Bible uses the analogy of good and bad fruit to distinguish between what believers and nonbelievers will produce in their lives (Matthew 7:17-20). Genuine followers of Christ will produce good fruit (John 15:8). Jesus says if we abide in Him, we will produce fruit that is growing and desirable (John 15:4-5), as we cannot produce any other kind.

a crowd with raised hands at an event espousing a false gospel and generating bad fruit showing a lack of discipline and discernment for those in attendance which belies their discipleship

But for those not in Him, Jesus likens them to bad trees that can only produce bad fruit (Matthew 7:18). A bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit every now and again; it produces bad fruit every time. Sure, it might look appealing on the outside, but inside it is rotten and sour. If we consume enough of it, what do you imagine will become of our spiritual health?

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Prepare for His Return

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What if Christ were to return tomorrow? How would it change the way you live today? Would you change anything you do on a typical day? Would Jesus coming back excite or terrify you? These are important questions we must all answer for ourselves because Christ could indeed return tomorrow. He could come back today.

No one knows when He will return, but I know I want to be ready for that day. It occurs to me the only way to be certain I am ready is to live every day as if Jesus is returning tomorrow. We know Jesus is coming back, so what we must answer is whether we will be ready. What changes must we make to prepare for His return?

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