Paul Washer:
There’s something in me that desires to fight.
I don’t mind dying. I just don’t want to die like a dog.
I just don’t want to die like a passive frog that’s been put into a kettle and gradually the water is heated up until he can’t understand, can’t even sense that he’s being boiled to death.
I don’t want to go out without a fight. And I don’t want to go to heaven without scars.
I don’t want to earn heaven. I can’t earn heaven.
I glory in the fact that heaven is free. I glory in the fact that there’s only one hero in this story—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I glory in that.
Yet at the same time, because of who He is and because He has put me in a place where I have an opportunity to fight, I want to fight for Him.
You say, “Oh yes, yes, brother Paul. The Great Commission.”
I’m not talking about the Commission.
I’m talking about the fight of faith. I’m talking about the fight of holiness. I’m talking about the fight of dying to self-love and giving myself selflessly to my bride, my wife.
I’m talking about going to bed tired every night because I poured my life into my children.
I’m talking about laying aside all the silly little trinkets and games of silly little men who are 60 years old—laying them aside.
I don’t need vacations. I don’t need toys. I don’t just want to live for Him in the practical parts of my life.
Anybody can be burned at the stake. It’s heroic.
But to live every day walking in simple obedience to God while all hell is coming against you to stop you—that’s the real fight.
We’re in this world, and we’re called not to love it.
We must cultivate our faith. We must cultivate knowledge. We must cultivate a right understanding of God. We must cultivate the mind of Christ. We must begin to see as God sees.
And how does that happen?
Through the study of Scripture.
The only way you’re going to grow in your hatred for this world is to grow in your love for God.
And the only way any of that’s going to happen is if you stop laying aside the Word of God as though it were something quite unnecessary for your life.
The world is passing away, and also its lusts.
Strong men grow old, and old men die.
Yes, strong men die. Men who are geniuses die. Strong men grow weak and die.
All men die.
Successful men die.
Intelligent men die.
You fall in love, and you lose her in the end.
Have you really grasped that as a man?
I don’t mean just played around with it and laughed and told a joke about it.
You need to contemplate.
You need to get away from media and contemplate your own death. And contemplate everything you have invested in.
Where are your investments?
Have you sat down and really thought about this?
You’re going to die, and everything you lived for outside of the will of Christ is going to burn.