Even If i Walk Alone

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

surrender

Follow Him

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Did you ever wonder what it must have felt like for the original disciples when they first heard Jesus invite them to follow Him? We read the story too quickly. Indeed, in its condensed form, it is easy to miss the gravity of the moment. Jesus beckoned them to follow Him, and they dropped their nets and ran after Him. How cool it must have been to be one of the original disciples. If only we had the opportunity, we think, we would have maximized it for all it was worth.

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While the compact telling in the Bible is powerful and shows the great commitment and faith of these men, it doesn’t paint the whole picture of what happened at that moment. These men didn’t just make a decision about what they would do with the rest of their lives, but they were also choosing to walk away from everything they had known.

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Sacrifice

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I recently heard Pastor David Platt pose the question, “Will we sacrifice our lives so others will come to know Christ?” This is a cutting and important question. Are we willing to give up some or all of our freedom, financial security, social standing, and comfort for the sake of seeing others come to know Jesus? It’s easy to say we want the world to be saved, but when it comes down to how much it will cost us personally, we tend to balk.

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I know this is true about you because it is true of me and the evidence would say it is true of the Church at large. We who claim to be disciples of Jesus are often coming up short when it comes to fulfilling the great commission and making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

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Suicide Mission

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There are places in the world today where following Jesus is basically a suicide mission. To follow Christ may mean losing your job, your home, and your children. It is not uncommon for families to react violently when one of their own gives their life to Jesus. Every day I read stories of new believers who are beaten and thrown out of their homes because of their decision to give their lives to Jesus.

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In many cultures, the family is the center of all things, and to leave the family religion brings great disgrace not only on the one leaving but on the ones they leave behind. It takes great faith and courage to follow Jesus in many countries. As their brothers and sisters in Christ, it is essential we lift these people in prayer every day.

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Slaves to Sin

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We, all of us, are slaves to sin. We don’t often use such terminology. It’s offensive. We bristle at the suggestion we are slaves to anyone or anything. After all, we are the masters of our destiny, right? The truth is until we surrender our lives to Jesus, we are slaves to sin. The first time we indulge in sin, the first time we disobey God, we enter into slavery. Understand it is our choice. We make the choice to enslave ourselves. It’s a ludicrous truth. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to a life of slavery?

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And make no mistake, this isn’t a play on words. I recognize slavery is a term packed with emotion and history and is not one I toss about carelessly. But Jesus Himself told us everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Those are His words, not mine. When we choose to sin, we choose to become slaves.

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Absolute Surrender

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Surrender is a word which causes mixed emotions for me. My independent and ferocious side wants to scream out, “Never! I won’t quit, won’t stop, won’t ever give in.” Surrender implies I’ve failed in some way. I didn’t complete the task or achieve the mission. I’m not one who likes to be beaten. On the flip side, surrender is the most beautiful word I know and is the aspiration of my life.

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I know I cannot win until I surrender. The mission will fail unless and until I surrender. While my prideful self resists surrender, my love for Christ demands it of me. So, in a paradoxical sense, I must refuse to surrender to ever stop surrendering to Jesus!

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