Even If i Walk Alone

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

James

Whatever the Cost

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How many times have you read that to follow Jesus, you must pick up your cross daily (Luke 9:23)? How many times have I written those words? Every Christian acknowledges their faith requires them to pick up that cross, but have you ever taken the time to understand the full ramifications of that commitment? We say we’ll follow Jesus whatever the cost, but did you ever stop to calculate that cost?

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If you’re like me, you often think of Christians who face persecution for their faith. We swear we will never deny our Lord, no matter how much pressure or abuse we must suffer. That’s an important place to come to in your growth as a Christian, but how about when the cost is not so high or obvious? Will you still follow Him no matter what (Matthew 10:38-39)?

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Be Transformed

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There are many verses and phrases in the Bible that we read, but never take the time to consider what they mean. One example would be Romans 12:2, where Paul exhorts us to not be conformed to this age but to be transformed. I know we don’t understand this verse because simple observation reveals most Christians are living lives of conformity to the world rather than demonstrating any kind of transformation.

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To be a follower of Jesus demands we abandon the way things used to be and embrace the superior way of the Father (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Transformation is not a one-time decision; it is a lifelong change of direction that requires a 180-degree turn in every area of our lives (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We turn from our desires and towards God’s holy plan.

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A Living Sacrifice

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Are you living your life as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1)? It is what God commands us to do, but how many of us understand what this means, much less are doing it? Jesus gave His life for us, a perfect sinless sacrifice for every sin we have ever or will ever commit. His death was the sacrifice needed to assuage God’s wrath over our sins (Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8-9).

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His sacrifice became the model for how each of us is to conduct their lives (1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1-2). We aren’t perfect and never will be. At the same time, we are called to be holy, just as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). There aren’t some commands of God that we can take seriously and others we can disregard. If we love Him, we will keep all His commands (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6).

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Our Fruit

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Throughout scripture, we see a great importance placed on our fruit. Our fruit is what we produce and cultivate by our actions, decisions, and attitudes. It is the ultimate result of how we live. Good fruit is that which pleases and brings glory to God, while bad fruit results from selfish and prideful living. We often say our excess is the fruit of our labors because hard work often results in providing for the needs of our families and ourselves.

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A farmer who does not sow his fields will not reap a harvest. An office worker who goofs off all day will not get the promotion they crave. We reap what we sow in the physical world, and this is even more true in the spiritual realm (Galatians 6:7-8).

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Have You Died?

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You claim Jesus is the Lord of your life, but have you died to sin? Both cannot be true in one’s life. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). If we are a slave to sin, we cannot be a servant of God (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). In the same manner, if we are a slave of Christ, sin no longer has any claim on our lives (Romans 6:17-18). There is tremendous freedom in that realization. The chains of sin will drag us to an eternal death, but the blood of Christ penetrates those shackles and causes them to fall away (Colossians 2:13-14).

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We no longer have to carry the weight of our sins (Psalm 103:12; 1 Peter 2:24). As free men and women, why would we ever choose to hunt down those chains, reassemble them and clamp them back on? We need not do that, and if our commitment to Christ is genuine, we never will.

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