For to me to live is Christ

Nothing can or ever will be more important than that which Paul saw and experienced, which was
expressed in the Bible like this: For to me to live is Christ. (Philippians 1:21)

It represents in a simple but powerful way all that the New Testament expresses, and the eternal reason behind God's creation. He wants us to embrace Him as all.

For those willing to risk all that Christ may be all within us, it is an amazing adventure that will end up ridding ourselves of an endless number of nagging problems that so easily beset us and take us off of our focus on Christ.

We must go past the idea of "For me to live is Christ," to the fact of embracing and pursuing it as a practical reality.

Ask the Lord to give you this heart after Him, as David's was. There is nothing else that is really needed, as Jesus said when Martha confronted Him about her sister Mary not helping her with the chores. Jesus' response to her sitting at His feet with others, was that this was the really only necessary thing for her, and He wasn't going to take that away from her. He meant a person and people that wanted to be focused on Him, with everything else being a far distant last in importance.

Remember, we must be doers of the Word, not simply hearers of the Word. We can't make up "to live is Christ," we must have it as part of our very outlook, state, and being.

Thousands of Venezuelan Youth Commit to Sexual Purity

Speaking at a youth festival in Venezuela, Evangelist Luis Palau presided over a gathering of about 45,000 people, where thousands not only accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, but also committed themselves to remaining sexually pure until marriage.

Chants of "yes to sexual purity" were repeated over and over again; with sexual purity being something the world desperately needs.

Palau said, "If each and everyone one of you gives your life to Christ, not only will you all revolutionize Venezuela, but Colombia and the entire world. Tonight, the Lord tells you, you have more than hope, you have the security that the power of God will be upon your life."

The event was organized by Gabriel Blanco, who has a vision of seeing the youth of Venezuela transformed to live lives based upon the Bible.

What Jesus Requires of All His People

Jesus Christ has a requirement for all of His people. Let's look at Matthew 16:24–26 to see what that is.

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Let's take note of a key statement by Jesus here. He said the words “If anyone would come after Me....” The word "anyone" means that there is no one exempt from the statement and requirement He revealed.

So if we say we believe in Jesus Christ, here is what He said He demands of us and how we'll live.

First He says we must deny ourselves. That is the individual and consequently, corporate foundation that flows forth from people that assert they know Jesus Christ. It's a total abandonment of living for oneself and turning around and living unto Christ. Pleasing Christ is the motivation for those entering into true fellowship with Him.

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