DIE!

This following post is stems from my response to a question or albeit a challenge that was issued by one of the students who attend the youth ministry I serve in. He asked "If you say your willing to live for him [Jesus] are you willing to die too?" A conversation developed between this student, another student, and myself. Normally I do not post comment responses that I post, but I feel that this response issues a great challenge for Christians today.

I have heard this question posed many times and you are right most people who follow the Christian religion are not willing to pick up their cross and bear it. They may have given their lives to a religion but not to Christ. Following Christ is not a question of are you willing to die for him, YOU MUST DIE in order to follow him. The bible says since we have died with Christ we now LIVE WITH HIM. In order to follow Jesus you must live a resurrected life and the only way to live a resurrected life is to DIE! You must die to self, you must die to this world, you must die to sin, so that you may rise with our saviour. It is in death that we truly find life. Jesus said that, and every gospel recorded it. So the question and challenge I pose to you is are you willing to live with Christ and not for a religion? Are you willing to bear your cross? Are you willing to take all the "stuff" in your life and die, so that you may truly live? Radical discipleship of Jesus is honestly pushing aside the cushions of religion and standing with Christ cross on back.