Paraphrasing William Shakespeare: To be a Christian or not to be a Christian. That should be the first question we, Christians, should be able to answer! Jesus talks about the cost of the Christian life in Luke 14:28-33. Before even considering what ministry or service we would have, we should consider if we're able or willing to forsake everything to follow Jesus. That's the starting point. The number one issue we have to resolve. That's the foundation of Jesus' Gospel. Luke 9:23. Dying to self is not popular, not nice, not even good (humanly speaking), but, our life is not compatible with God's life. We either live ours or God's, we gain ours or God's, as Jesus said in Matthew 16:25. We can see this truth in John the Baptist's words: John 3:30. John decreased so much that he died; he literally lost his life for Jesus' sake. Not just John, but many others lost their lives because they refused to compromise, they refused to deny God's Truth (Jesus Christ), they endured to the end, just as Jesus said in Matthew 10:22. Being a True disciple of Jesus Christ requires to give up what we love the most, as Jesus said to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22.
Conclusion: Jesus’ growth in us is directly proportional to our decrease (emptying). We can only be filled with the Holy Spirit if we become emptied of ourselves. Ephesians 5:18.
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