instead of desirable . To make that happen , something deep inside us has to die .
Here ’ s the truth : Jesus didn ’ t come to hurt you . He came to kill you .
Jesus didn ’ t come to make our normal , selfish , sinful lives a little better . He came to radically transform life as we know it . He came to kill our sinful lives so we could experience true life . A kernel of wheat doesn ’ t flourish until it “ dies ” by being planted . Jesus was referring to His own death , burial , and resurrection only a few days away , but He applied this principle to us too . If we love our sinful lives — valuing success , pleasure , and approval above all else — our spiritual vitality will wither away and die . But if our love for those counterfeits dies — if we “ care nothing ” for them — we ’ ll experience the real adventure of knowing , loving , and following Christ . We ’ ll really live ! It ’ s our choice .
IT WAS ALL BALLOONS AND COTTON CANDY .
Why don ’ t more Christians live full-on and fullout for Jesus ? Because they ’ re losing the war going on in their hearts . A war ? Yes , a fierce war . If we think becoming a Christian should make life smooth and easy , we need to think again . Any perceptive person already knows about the battle between our selfish desires and our longing to honor God .
The battle is fierce , but it ’ s not hopeless . We ’ re not powerless , helpless victims of our sinful natures . We have a new identity and a new power to kill our flesh and walk in newness of life . Do you want real life ? It ’ s there for the taking .
If you prefer the watered-down version of the
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