Audiobook - Conversational / Straightforward / Easygoing / Natural / Intelligent
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Young Adult (18-35)Accents
North American (General) North American (US General American - GenAM) North American (US Midwest- Chicago, Great Lakes)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
It is one of the principal paradoxes of grace. From a distance, it seems to make no sense at all. But you cannot understand God's work of grace in your life. If you don't face this paradox, it's clearly presented in these words of Jesus Christ. And he 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 is 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? But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God. Luke 9 23 through 27. Death leads to life. Something seems not right about this, but it is right. It makes perfect sense when you face the reality that you and I cannot live for ourselves and God at the same time. We cannot live for his kingdom in our kingdoms. We cannot write our own rules and submit to his rules. We cannot pride ourselves on our independent righteousness and cast ourselves on his righteousness at the same time, we cannot live for our glory and his glory. We cannot love the world in our hearts and love him above all else. At the same time, we cannot insert ourselves in the center of our worlds and have him at the center too. You see, coming to Jesus is not a negotiation. Coming to Jesus is not an agreement. Coming to Jesus is not a contract. Coming to Jesus is a death. Your death. He died so that you may live now. He asked you to lose your life so that you may find life in him. Here's what you need to understand in asking you to die. Jesus is giving you eternal life. The only way it could be given. He has to call you to die because you were in the way of you having life. It is our pride, our rebellion, our independence, our foolishness and our denial. that stand in the way of his offer of life. We tell ourselves that we're okay. We act as if we're smarter than God. We like our little kingdoms more than we love Hiss. We think our rules air better than Hiss. We tell ourselves that present pleasure is better than eternal gain. If someone doesn't rescue us from our delusions about our lives, we will lose our lives. Yes, we must die if we are ever going to live. So grace is out to kill us. But in presiding over our deaths, Grace gives us life, riel, abundant and eternal life. Don't fight the death of your old life. Instead, celebrate the new life that is yours by grace and grace alone. And remember that your savior will continue to call you to die. It is the way of life.
Tags
Narrator, Professor, Storyteller, Teacher, Instructor, Articulate, Confident, Conversational, Genuine, Informative, Natural, Professorial, Straightforward, Relaxed, Intelligent, North American (General), North American (US General American - GenAM), North American (US Midwest- Chicago, Great Lakes)