"A Life Worth Dying For" Kathryn Kuhlman

We're going to have another one of those heart -to -heart talks about something that is vitally important to you. And in this portion of the Word of God, Paul was talking to Christians. We are sure of that one thing because he begins by saying, brethren. And he's talking to... the brethren in the Lord. I'm giving you a portion of the Word of God that is grossly misconstrued and misunderstood. Therefore, I'm asking you to read it with me. It's in the third chapter of 1 Corinthians. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. even as unto babes in christ i have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able we see at a glance it doesn't take a deep spiritual insight to see that He's speaking to Christians, and even as he is speaking to those who have been regenerated, born again, not all are spiritual. Some are still in the carnal stage. There has not been that great entrance. into the deeply spiritual state where that one has completely surrendered body, soul, and spirit unto the Lord. Let me give you something that to me is one of the most thrilling things about being in the body of Christ. Remember something. There is a place in the Lord where literally you do not merely belong to the kingdom of God. Oh, that's wonderful. That is thrilling to know that you belong. And that happens at the very moment of your born -again experience, the very minute you accept the Christ as your Savior, the very minute that you accept the pardon, that which has been made possible to you through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, at that moment, the mighty Creator becomes your Heavenly Father. And you belong to the kingdom of God. You don't wait until after death to belong to the kingdom of God. Now are ye the sons of God. This very moment is God your heavenly father. If you're a Christian, this very second, you are an heir of God. You are a joint heir with his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Now, lift up your heads. There's no cause for discouragement. There's no cause for defeat. It was never in the purpose and will of God that any one of his children, the least of his children, should ever live a life of defeat. Not for one second. You are important to God. You are more important to your Heavenly Father than all the wealth in the world, than all the planets that He ever spoke into existence. You are now vastly important to Him, His heir. sons of God. Not only after death, but right here, even while you are in the flesh. Now you belong to the kingdom of God. But remember something else. And this is something that's the hardest thing in the world to make God's children see. The kingdom of God belongs to you. Now. Oh, that's thrilling. Look up. Be glad. Stop living a defeated life. Stop going around in a state of depression. God's children aren't depressed. God's children don't live in a state of depression. Know that. I am His by Him created. I am His through redemption. Therefore, I am twice His by original right and by purchase when I was lost. I am His. He'll defend me. I am His. He'll protect me. I am his, therefore I am surrounded by his love. He'll protect me from my adversaries. The evil one cannot touch me. I belong to one who is greater than my weaknesses. I belong to the mighty God of this universe. I belong to him. Therefore, I cannot fail. Oh, look up. Start living. This thing of being a Christian involves so much. All right. Let's go back again to where we started in this double heart -to -heart talk. Why did Paul say brethren? Talking to Christians. I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. What makes the difference then between the carnal and the spiritual? Yet, they're all God's children. I said something the other day. I'm going to repeat it. No person ever really lives until he has found something worth dying for. And I am convinced of something. No person can really be a success. No person can ever be the world's greatest at anything. I don't care what it is. No person can be successful in anything that he undertakes unless it means enough to him that he's willing to give his life for it. I believe that. Look at the world's greatest scientists. I believe with every atom of my being that Einstein was willing to die for what he believed. You take the world's greatest medical men. I believe those men are willing to die for the cause. I believe that. Yes, ma 'am. Do you want to know something? Do you want to know why I can stand before you and preach the word the way I do? Do you want to know why there are so many men find Christ their Savior through this ministry, it's because there's something in them that knows that I believe what I preach so completely that I die for what I believe. And that's the truth. God help me. I may not be perfect in what I do. I am not the greatest in what I do. I am far from being a good preacher. I probably am not following things according to ethics. But I'll tell you one thing with all of heaven as my witness. I would die for what I believe. I would die for that thing which I bring unto you. I would die for the ministry. I would give my life for that which I believe things of God. You can never really possess the kingdom of God until the Lord becomes more important to you than your own life. thing that makes the difference between the carnal and the spiritual. The carnal man has never gotten to the place where he has loved the Lord and the things the Lord enough to die for what he believes. He is still trying to straddle the fence. Some of self and some of God. Some of God and some of the world. And he isn't quite sure which means the most to him. You will never enjoy the deep spiritual things. You cannot be fed on the meat of the word. You're still going around being fed with a bottle. Because there's no spiritual growth, there will be no spiritual growth until you get to the place where literally there is a death to self. Do you want to know the price that you pay? For really being spiritual? Spiritual in the sense that Paul meant here, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual? Do you know what he really meant? Just this. You have never gotten to the place where... The Lord was more important to you, more important in your life than your own life. Yeah. Now, let's not go back. No person ever really lives until he's found something worth dying for. You will never really, fully, completely enjoy the spiritual things. your spiritual inheritance, and the deep spiritual knowledge, the word, you'll never fully enjoy living a spiritual life here on this earth until you do die. Is that a physical death? I'm not talking about the heart taking its last beat. The heart is ticking just as strongly as ever. There's as much life in that body as ever. But I am talking about a death on your cross. A death to self. And that's exactly what the word means when Jesus said unto his disciples, Any man will come after me. Let him deny himself and take up his cross. And remember, a cross is always a symbol of death. That's one thing we're sure of. Always. Whenever Jesus speaks of a cross, it's always a symbol of death. It could not have been his death. For Jesus had a cross of his own. His cross was not my cross. Neither was his cross your cross. This is something very personal. He's talking about an individual. Any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross. Therefore, there must be a death to that individual. He must get to a place where he believes in something so completely, so strongly. He has found something in the Lord Jesus Christ that's worth dying for. Oh, that's glorious. Then let him come and follow me. And when he does, he'll have that glorious truth that he not only belongs to the kingdom of God, but the kingdom of God belongs to him. Blessed are they that pay the price of having found something that's worth dying for. May this experience be yours. Amen.