Gabe Fluhrer

Death to self, crucifixion of self.

My friend, let me ask you this.

If you're struggling with sin in your life, I'm willing to bet that both you and I can trace it back to the fact that it's a death to self, and we hate that.

And it is always hard for sinners to die to themselves.

It's impossible apart from the Spirit.

It's impossible apart from being raised to newness and life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And therefore, the first thing that we would notice about the resurrection is it's a call to die.

It's a call to put away the old man, to put off the old man, as Paul says.

And it's a call that for all of the misinterpretations and misunderstandings that are painted about the Christian life today, it's a call to suffer.

Whether it's the unspectacular difficulties we all face, the daily frustrations of life in a fallen world, wayward children, wayward grandchildren, spouses who don't get along,

Arguments with coworkers, disagreements with professors, whatever it is, all of these things that combine to make life hard on top of the fact that Jesus may call us to suffer even greater things for his name.

All of that can be explained and I would submit can only be explained if we take into account the New Testament pattern of suffering then glory.

That is at the heart of the resurrected life.

That pattern.

And so make no mistake, if you have been called to follow Christ, you have been called to follow in his footsteps of suffering.

And it will be impossible apart from the grace of God and the power of the Spirit in our lives, but it is the only way to glory.

And the good news is, before we think about the next thing, by grace and by grace alone will we endure.

That's what I mean by there's no redemptive lack that Paul is speaking of in Christ's sufferings.

His sufferings are sufficient to atone for all of our sins and all the sins of his elect.

But we're mistaken if we think that following Jesus is simply our best life now.