This is a follow up to the last post and it expounds on why God is the only thing worth living for.  I originally wrote this back in bible school in 2008, so please bear in mind that this is a little dated. Nevertheless, I think there is still some awesome material here:

Life Photo Credit

Now, why is God the only thing worth living for? This is a conclusion that I have been taught, that many of us raised in the Church have been taught. But ultimately, it is not a thing one can be taught. No, this must be a conclusion that one comes to on his own. Read these verses:

Mark 8:34-37 "34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Now we, having been raised in the church, are constantly being told to "take up your cross, and follow Jesus." I submit to you that most people do not know what this truly means. In fact, I would go as far as saying that I myself do not know the true extent of what it means to "lose my life for Jesus and the gospel." I don't know if I am truly willing to "lose my life," for what does it mean? I submit to you that the vast bulk of people who call themselves Christians do not in the smallest sense "lose their life for Jesus and the gospel." But that is the way we are called to live. Read also these verses:

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will. "

I would just like to say one thing about that passage. What happened to the animal to be sacrificed back in the Old Testament? The bull's blood was spilled, it was cut into pieces, laid on the altar and burned! Do you see many people living like that? I don't think so. But I do think it is what Christ has called us to.

So, if we call ourselves "Christian," that is what is truly asked of us. That is the Christian life. There is no strain for self gain, self promotion, or even self esteem of any kind. What we have left is God's will in our lives (living sacrifices, self denial), God's view of promotion (the last shall be first and the first shall be last), and God-esteem (1 Cor. 1:28-31, Gal. 6:14, the book of Romans, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.").

Now, if we take Christianity, we must take the whole thing. If you throw out one bit, for instance, the bit that says homosexuality is a "perversion" (Romans 1:27), you are denying the inspiration of scriptures. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." So if you reject part of it, you are rejecting the fact that the Bible is truly from God. If you reject the fact that it is truly from God, you can then reject any portion of scriptures that you don't feel like submitting yourself to, such as what a "living sacrifice" is. If you take Christianity, you have to take all of it, or none of it.

Let us take a moment and consider taking none of it. What is left in life? There is absolutely nothing! You simply came about as a pure accident! What is taking place right now is simply a chemical reaction, simply chemicals that appear on the periodic table (mostly Carbon, I believe) mashing around with a bunch of energy/electricity to create this thing you consider to be life. But really, what is a school bus? A school bus is a bunch of chemicals that appear on the periodic table, mashing around with a bunch of energy to move a load of school kids from one place to another. Really, the atheist and the school bus are on the same level. The school bus actually is probably superior, due to the fact that it has a lot more of the materials that make up everything in it than you do. You, the atheist, are of less worth in the grand scheme of the universe than the school bus parked in the parking lot! Life sucks, and then you die, and are gone forever. In a few short generations no one will even remember that you ever existed. Your existence is gone. And during your brief period of existence as a bunch of chemicals and energy, your life is fraught with betrayal, disappointments, and pain. Why not just end it now?

In conclusion, we must choose one or the other, either all of Christianity, or none of it. If we choose none of it, we are left with nothing. But if we choose all of it, we are left with everything. And what evidence is there for all of it? Please go back up to the post from yesterday! (Look around in nature.)

Your Turn: If you would like to discuss any of these points or any points raised by this paragraph, please, leave a comment, email me, whatever. If you have differing opinions, that is totally ok, that's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. If you disagree with me on any point contained here, I would love to discuss it with you, because if the position that you take does have merit to it and presents itself as the truth, then I must change my position to fit what the truth of the matter is. So please, let's have some discussion.