2016 April Newsletter
A Dangerous Life
04/05/16 10:30:amMost people will warn you not to throw your life away, but I won’t.
Why? Because there is something of infinite value that is worth throwing your life away for. What could be more valuable than your life? What could be worth the cost of throwing your life away?
There is only one thing, and that is Jesus Christ. Some would say that it is a waste to throw your life away for Christ. But it isn’t a waste to count your life as cheap for Him. Instead it is a beautiful expression of love and of cherishing Jesus. If you value your life more that Christ you are committing idolatry and cannot be His follower and you will eventually lose your (eternal) life. Jesus was very clear in His warning that you must be willing to lay down your earthy life to have eternal life (Matt. 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; John 12:25). So, in a very real way we should live a dangerous and reckless life for Christ. Not dangerous and reckless in the sense that we are throwing it away for just anything or that we are not using it for a purpose. But in the sense that we are radical followers of Jesus Christ. Willing to lay down our life at His call or to obey Him without fear or retreat. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that we do something stupid to go and get killed. What I am saying is that we should live such a Christ-centered life that fear of death just doesn’t matter anymore. This life is only temporary and the days that God has given us here should be spent on pursuing God’s will and His Kingdom. If God calls you to the foreign mission field then you should delightfully change all your future plans to pursue that call. Or, if God calls you to give up something (like a boyfriend/girlfriend, career, dream) to follow His will, then you should willingly give it up without looking back. This is not an extreme concept according to the New Testament, but sadly it might be to many Christians today. Live your life in such a way that you mirror the Apostle Paul’s own words in Acts 20:24, that you don’t value your life more than you value Jesus, His Gospel, and your faithfulness to Him. Where have all the dangerous and reckless Christians gone? They have fled into a half-hearted safe “Christianity.” Are you willing to commit your all to the Lord who is more valuable than life?
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Act 20:24
In Christ,
Bro Jason