Lifestyles

A few years ago, I attended my friend’s graduation. The speaker taught the graduates (and the audience) that there are two contrasting lifestyles mentioned in Philippians. (Ironically, their addresses are Philippians 1:21 and Philippians 2:21.) The lifestyles are polar opposites. You can’t have one and have the other.
Lifestyle #1: For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. ~Philippians 1:21
Do you believe that? Is this applied to your life? Is your life focused on Christ in every aspect? Do you truly look at death as gain?

Lifestyle #2: For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 2:21
Do you only seek after your own interests? Are you living in God’s will or your own will?

And [Jesus] said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ~Luke 9:23-26

It is a daily decision to follow Jesus. We must daily choose to walk in obedience to him and follow his path for our lives. Are you going to be a Christ follower in everything you do today?
(Note: I’m not saying that it is a daily decision to become a Christian. Jesus saves us once and for all, and nothing we do or say will change the fact that we are saved. We are adopted into God’s family forever. I’m saying that it’s a daily choice to walk in obedience. See John 10:28-29, Ephesians 1:5-14, Hebrews 9:24-28, and Hebrews 10:12-13 )
So which lifestyle have you been living? Does every aspect of your life revolve around Christ? Or, are you only seeking after your interests?

 

Confession, I often fall into the second category. But you know what? It’s never too late. Today I can choose to follow Jesus. I can choose to walk in obedience today.

Which will you choose?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live upright, and godly lives in the present age.
Titus 2:11-12Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
Hebrews 3:7

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