What are you willing to die for?

You really aren’t living until you know what you are willing to die for.  Would you die for a friend, for a family member, for your country, how about for God?  Are you willing to die for the cause of Christ?  Who do you love more yourself or God?

To find out what truly motivates you, you must find out what you are willing to give your life for.

Luke 9:23,24  If we wish to be followers of Christ, then we must daily take up our cross and follow Him.  Notice this isn’t weekly, just on Sunday, but each day we must renew our commitment to God and take up our cross.  Salvation is not without cost.  We must deny ourselves.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we no longer live for ourselves, but now we live for Him!  We must be willing to give up everything for God.  Jesus gave His all for us. 

Those who would deny Christ to save their life will lose it, but those who are willing to die for the cause of Christ will live forever.  Salvation comes from a complete yielding to Jesus Christ, not just mental assent.  We must surrender our entirety to God.  We give Him our all.  We must be willing to die for Christ if necessary.  This idea is reiterated in Luke 17:33.  Notice, the verses that follow discuss a day of separation.  God will some day soon separate the sheep from the goats.  The Christians will be raptured home to heaven, but those who deny Christ will be left behind.  John 12:25 repeats this theme again.  God repeats this idea over and over, because it is very important we learn this doctrine. 

John 15:13-16  When we are willing to die for Christ it shows that we truly love Him.  Long before we ever loved Him, He first loved us.  He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.  Ephesians 1:4  While we were still dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ loved us enough to die for us.  He died in our place.  He rescued us from receiving what we deserved.  When someone does a crime they must do the time.  A murderer deserves to go to old sparky.  A sinner deserves to spend an eternity burning in hell.  Romans 6:23  The wages or just reward of our sins is eternal death in hell.  We all deserve to burn in hell for our sins.  Romans 5:7-9.  Jesus loved us so much that He died in our place.  He gave Himself for us.  He came to seek and to save that which was lost.  He came to deliver us from our sins.  When we repent of our sins and accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior, then He forgives us of our sins and grants us eternal life in Him.  Jesus loves us so much He gave Himself for us.  Should we expect to give anything less for Him?  We must give all of ourselves for Him.  John 10:11-18  Jesus willingly laid down His life for us.  He is the Good Shepherd.  He gave His life for the sheep.  John 10:27,28  Once we are saved we know His voice and we follow Him.  We go where our Good Shepherd leads us.  We have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  There isn’t anything that can pluck us out of His hand.  Once we are truly saved, we can never lose our salvation.  The question today is, are you truly saved?  Is Jesus Christ both your Lord and Savior or did you just repeat a little prayer without ever taking Him as Lord.  A repeated prayer does not save.  There isn’t any place in the Bible where anyone was led in the “sinner’s prayer”, so guess what it isn’t Biblical.  If it isn’t Biblical, then it is not from God.    Are you truly saved?  Are you resting in something you have done like repeating a prayer, walking a church aisle, being baptized, etc. or are you trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary?  Our Good Shepherd gave His life for us.  Today is the Good Shepherd your Shepherd?  Are you willing to follow Him?  Are we willing to die for the cause of Christ?

I John 3:16 Notice, the verse says that because God laid down His life for us, we should lay down our life for our brethren.  Do you realize we should be willing to die in defense of our brothers and sisters in Christ?  If we really understood this then wouldn’t we be much more loving to them?  In countries around the world, many die for the cause of Christ.  Many others will die for their brothers and sisters in Christ.  Verse 17,18  Let’s not just love in word, but in deed and truth.  Our actions should reveal our love for God and for each other.  Many talk about loving God and their fellow Christians, but few show it.  The Bible instructs us to show our love for one another.  Part of loving one another is be willing to lay down our lives for one another if needed.  Here in America where persecution is not as wide spread as say China or India, we may not have to give our lives, but we must be willing to if it came down to it.  In a country like China, India, Indonesia, etc.  Christians are being persecuted, tortured, and killed for the cause of Christ.  We need to love them enough to pray for them.  We need to love them enough to do what we can to support them and if God calls us to, to go to them and help them.   If we are called to we must give our lives to help them.  Revelations 12:10,11  The way we are able to overcome is by the blood of the Lamb.  The way we are able to love enough to give our lives is by loving Him who first loved us.  We must be willing to stand in the day when we are called to stand, even if it costs us our lives.  “and they loved not their lives unto death.”   Today, around the world there are many Christians who are dying for the cause of Christ.  If the government changed and we were forced to choose between our lives or Christ, which would you choose?  Would you deny Christ to save your physical life or refuse to deny and gain eternal life?  Would you rat out other Christians causing their death or would you be willing to remain silent at the cost of your own life?  Are you willing deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Christ?  What are you willing to die for?