Even If i Walk Alone

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

John

Don’t Waver

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The Christian life is hard. In the best-case scenario, people will ridicule and ostracize you from social groups. (Matthew 5:10-12; 1 Peter 4:4) You will always be an outsider. (John 15:18-19; 1 Peter 2:11) Worst-case scenarios involve torture and death in gruesome manners. (Matthew 24:9; Hebrews 11:35-38) Following Jesus is not for the squeamish or fainthearted. Being a Christian isn’t for everyone. It is only for those who see Jesus as being worth any sacrifice and worthy of every kind of mockery and torture. (Luke 14:26-33; Philippians 3:7-8)

We are the few and the called, but that’s not something to be proud of. We did nothing to earn this privilege. (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9) It is only by God’s grace that we are called to this life of service and sacrifice and ultimately to immense joy and life everlasting. (1 Peter 5:10; Titus 3:6-7) If you want to live for Jesus, take up your cross and don’t waver. (Luke 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

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Busy Until He Comes

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What are we doing with our lives? What are we pursuing during the short time we live in these bodies? Perhaps even more telling, does what you are doing look any different from what your unsaved friends and neighbors are doing? It’s easy, and even expected, to get caught up within the cultures in which we live. After all, we don’t want to be those “weird people” down the street, do we?

But shouldn’t we be those very peculiar people? Peter tells us we are called to be different; called to stand out. (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 1:14-16) We can’t do that if we waste all our time fitting in with everyone else and pretending we aren’t living on borrowed time. If we want to live the life Jesus commands us to, we need to be busy until He comes, making preparations for that day.

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Called to This

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There is an uncomfortable truth that is not discussed enough from our pulpits or in our conversations. Being a follower of Christ means we are going to suffer. We know it’s true because we are called to this. (1 Peter 2:21; Philippians 1:29-30) Depending on what country you live in, and for some, even in what part of your country, you will face different degrees of persecution.

But all Christians will suffer for the sake of Christ because the gospel is offensive to those who refuse to bow to the Lordship of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Peter 2:7-8) He promised us this would happen, and if it’s not happening to you yet, then it will in the days to come. (John 15:18-20; 2 Timothy 3:12) We need to be ready. (1 Peter 4:12-13; 1 Peter 3:14-15)

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One Life to Live

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This life is finite. From the moment we are born, the clock begins ticking down the seconds of our life. No matter what we do or who we become, we will live once, and then we will die. (James 4:14; Psalm 90:10) We have a responsibility to steward the days entrusted to us in a way that is worthy of Christ dying on the cross. He didn’t sacrifice Himself so we could spend our days on trivialities and pleasure.

He died so we might have life to the fullest and most holy extent. (John 10:10; 1 Peter 2:24) How dare we waste it on selfish living, lust, gluttony, and greed? (1 Peter 4:1-3; Ephesians 5:15-18) That’s grotesque. We have one life, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Or perhaps more sobering, we have one life to live, and after this, the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27-28; 2 Corinthians 5:10) How, then, should we live?

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Obedient to Christ

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What if I told you there was one thing you could do that would make every choice and decision so obvious that you would never have to second-guess yourself? There is one habit you can cultivate that makes everything else in your life easier and less stressful. The best part is that you already know what it is and how to do it.

The key to always knowing what to do and living with less stress and more joy is to always be obedient to Christ. (John 15:10-11) When we live in the habit of obedience, we will always know what to do because it’s the thing that is consistent with Christ’s character and glorifies Him. (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:8-10) Things only get blurry when we put our desires before His desires for us.

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