Many Christians want to live the resurrection life. However, they are not willing to give up their lives in the world and die in the flesh. Walking in the resurrection life without dying is the message that is preached in many churches. They say (and make Christians believe) that the gospel won’t cost you a thing and that you may stay the way you are and live the way you want to live. But does Jesus confirm this doctrine? What does the Bible say about the resurrection life, can you live the resurrection life without dying?
What did Jesus say about the resurrection life and following Him
Jesus said about the resurrection life and following Him, that whosoever loves his life in this world and wants to save it, shall lose it. And whosoever hates his life in this world, and loses his life for His sake and the gospel’s, shall find eternal life (Matthew 10:39, 16:24-25, Mark 8:35, John 12:25).
Despite what many preachers say, Jesus says, that if you want to follow Jesus, it will cost you your life.
If you don’t take up your cross and follow Jesus, you are not worthy of Jesus and can’t be His disciple. (Matthew 10:38, Mark 8:34, Luke 9;23; 14:27).
Only when you have a personal encounter with the true Jesus Christ, and His holiness confronts you with your sins, sinful nature, and fallen state, you will hate your own carnal life and be ready to lay down your carnal life and follow Jesus.
If you are willing to lay down your life, you will be able to follow Him and not any time sooner.
If you are not aware of the evil and the destructive influence and effect of sin and your sinful state, you shall not understand the work and purpose of the cross and the necessity of regeneration and sanctification.
As soon as it costs Christians something, they walk away
Many churches don’t preach the necessity of regeneration and sanctification anymore. This is mainly because it is not a very popular message, that Christians, who are still the old carnal creation want to hear.
As soon as preachers preach a message of repentance, sanctification, and the removal of sin, people become offended, angry, or upset and leave the church.
As soon as it costs something and things are expected of people, they walk away.
Let’s take for example ‘tithing’. When you talk about tithing with Christians, many times you will notice the resistance in this area. You hear the many reasons that are cited and used to exculpate Christians to tithe.
But if Christians are not willing to give a part of their income to God, why would they give their life to God? (Read also: When money becomes your god).
People only want to receive blessings from God and walk in the supernatural, without obligations and without having to do anything.
This is not something new. This already happened to Jesus.
Why did Jesus loose thousands of followers?
Jesus had thousands of followers, who only followed Him for the manifestations; signs and wonders. As soon as Jesus began to speak about the Kingdom of God and spoke hard and confronting words to the people, many people became offended and turned their backs and walked away. (Read also: Following Jesus for the signs and wonders).
Eventually only 120 of all those thousands of followers were left. These 120 believed the words of Jesus and obeyed His words. They waited in unity in prayer in the upper room, for the promise of Jesus; the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn’t change His message for the people
The difference between Jesus and modern preachers is that Jesus stood in the service of His Father and was led by God and His will, and not by the people and their will. Therefore Jesus didn’t compromise and change His message for the people’s sake, but He kept preaching the truth of God.
Many preachers preach, what the people want to hear and what is trending, instead of preaching what God and His Word say. Because the more people are carnally caressed and touched in their feelings and emotions, the more people will come. The more people come, the more members a church has. And the more members a church has, the more fame and money the church gets.
The old man always wants to hear and receive new things
The old carnal creation loves new things and wants to hear and receive new things all the time. The old creation is sensitive to new (Christian) trends, doctrines, and supernatural manifestations. The devil knows this and gives the people what they want.
The devil says, what they want to hear and give what they want to receive.
He continuously emerges new Christian trends and doctrines, which derive from the personal experiences of people, and focuses on the carnal people and the supernatural.
Meanwhile, these doctrines slowly lead the believers astray from the Word.
The self-made gospel focuses on spiritual manifestations; signs and wonders. It provides methods and techniques to experience spiritual manifestations and receive material blessings, while the lives of many Christians stay unchanged.
Many Christians remain carnal and walk after the flesh and persevere in sin. (Read also: Can you keep sinning under grace?).
However, the gospel shouldn’t revolve around spiritual manifestations and works. But the gospel should revolve around the One, from Whom the works originate, namely Jesus Christ; the living Word.
Prophecies, signs, and miracles may never become the focus point and center of a Christian.
Should believers follow signs and wonders?
Believers shouldn’t follow signs and wonders, but they should follow the believers instead. Jesus warned His disciples and said, if you keep your eyes on signs and wonders, you will be deceived.
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before (Matthew 24:23-25).
Paul also warned the church of the Thessalonians. He wrote: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)
What is the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
The true gospel of Jesus Christ calls for repentance, the removal of sins, living a holy life after the will of God, and having a fear (awe) of God. This gospel is seldom preached. Why? People don’t want to give up anything but only receive.
Who wants to hear a message that will cost you your life? Who wants to hear a message that commands you to lay down your own life and abstain from the things of the world? Why would you wanna die freely to the flesh, if there is a way to keep living after the flesh like the world, and at the same time walk in the resurrection life and do signs and wonders, by following and applying carnal methods and techniques?
Many Christians have gotten so used to this modern gospel, that they can’t bear the truth of God’s Word anymore (John 8:44, 2 Timothy 4:4).
As discussed in previous blog posts, many preachers and spiritual teachers, change the words of the Bible.
They mix the words of God with their own philosophies, which are created by the knowledge and wisdom of the world and their experiences and derive from the will, lusts, and desires of their flesh.
They preach their own words. Instead of submitting to the Word and preaching the words of God and make the words and will of God known to the people.
That’s mainy because they are not willing to put off the old man. Therefore, they don’t preach the truth of God anymore. Because the truth confronts them with their sins and iniquities and that’s not what they want.
They don’t want to be confronted with their sins and feel guilty.
God sent a strong delusion
Because they are not willing to submit to God and obey His Word, God delivered them to a reprobate mind. God sent a strong delusion, that caused them to believe their own lies. And so they preach these lies to the visitors of the church.
They preach motivational sermons, combined with self-help and wonderful promises, that revolve around the carnal man, prosperity, riches and how they can walk in the supernatural and do great signs and wonders.
Their charismatic words touch and move the emotions and feelings of the people. They quote Bible verses to substantiate their doctrines. However, they only forget one major thing, They forget to mention and preach about the conditions.
Many preachers forget to preach about the conditions of living the resurrection life
It’s just like an (online) discount code or coupon, which you receive and want to use, but doesn’t work when you check out. Not until you read the conditions, you find out why the discount coupon or code doesn’t work. If you don’t meet the conditions, your discount code or coupon is useless and you shall not get the discount.
It’s the same thing with the Word and all the promises of God, His blessings, and living the resurrection life, that are preached. If you don’t meet the conditions, you shall not receive and walk in the true resurrection life.
The Bible is a manual for the new man, who has become a new creation in Jesus Christ.
All the things, that are written in the Word of God are meant for the new man. The Word is the mirror of the new man. (Read also: God’s Word is a Mirror).
The Word is very clear and says, that the new man can’t arise before the old man dies.
By the grace of God and His love for people, God sent His own Son Jesus Christ to this world. So that through His death and resurrection, every person can become a new creation by faith in Jesus Christ and regeneration in Him.
Salvation is free for everyone. The entrance is free, but there is one condition. The condition is, that you have to become born again. There is no other way to enter the Kingdom of God, than by becoming born again in Jesus Christ.
The new man can’t arise and live the resurrection life unless the old man dies
It’s impossible to live as the old man and receive the wages of the new man. The Holy Spirit can’t dwell in the lives of unregenerate people; sinners. Sinners belong to the world (darkness) and live in rebellion against God and disobedience to His Word.
You can’t live the resurrection life, without dying first. This doesn’t mean the natural process of dying, carnal death, and the resurrection after death. But this means the process of becoming born again in this life on this earth.
It means, that you have to die in Christ in the flesh (spiritually) and that your spirit, who was dead (due to sin), is raised in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you receive the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave us the example of the corn of wheat.
What did Jesus say about the corn of wheat?
Jesus said about the corn of wheat, that a corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die first before it can bring forth much fruit.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:24-25)
Jesus referred first of all to His own death and resurrection. But this process also applies to those, who want to follow Christ.
As long as the corn of wheat doesn’t die, but abides alone, it shall not bear fruit.
It’s the same with many Christians, who remain carnal, keep their own lives, and use a false gospel for their carnal enrichment
They don’t win souls for Jesus Christ, because they focus on themselves.
Because they focus on themselves and are busy with themselves, they don’t see the needs of the world. They don’t see the need of the world and the lost people around them. (Read also: Bring the lost home!).
Many Christians don’t see the destructive influence and effect of sin. They don’t see the increasing power of the devil and death, who reign in the lives of many people.
No, they let it be and think everything is fine and don’t want to interfere in people’s lives and matters. They are tolerant and allow everything. All that matters to them is, that they have a pleasant life, without hardships, resistance, and persecution, and enjoy the things that this world has to offer.
Many Christians don’t die and live the resurrection life and because of that souls are lost
Many Christians don’t take up their cross and follow Jesus. Instead, they stay the old unregenerate man, who lives after the flesh and listens to the world. Because of this, they stop the truth and the life of Jesus Christ.
Due to their selfishness and the fear of telling the truth of the Word of God, many souls are lost. (Read also: Are you bold enough to speak the word of God?).
That’s why regeneration is necessary. So that you (your flesh) don’t stand in the way and you can live the resurrection life in Christ and by faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, you shall stand in the truth and take a stand for Jesus Christ; the Word, and preach and bring the Kingdom of God to the people.
Only through this, will souls be saved and redeemed from the power and destructive work of the devil and reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Resurrection, and live the resurrection life.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
