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crucifying your flesh: the cost of following Christ | Braxten Mecham | YouTubeToText
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Summary
Core Theme
Following Jesus requires more than just belief; it demands actively "crucifying the flesh" by denying self-serving desires and embracing a transformed life that reflects Christ's image, a commitment often overlooked in simplified evangelism.
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What's up, guys? Welcome back to the
House of Jacob podcast, where in this
house we serve the Lord. I'm your host,
Braxton. And guys, in this week's
episode, I want to talk about crucifying
your flesh, which is the cost of
following Jesus. Now, you know when you
get in a relationship and you didn't
really know what you were getting into
before you got into it and you're like,
now you're in the relationship and
you're like, "Oh my gosh, I had no clue
this is what I was getting into. I
didn't know your parents were this crazy
or I didn't know you were this crazy or
you know what I mean?" um because we we
have rose tinted glasses on and we miss
all the red flags because we're we don't
want to see them. Then we get into the
relationship and we're like, "Oh my
gosh, I did not see that coming." Like,
I didn't know that's what I was getting
into. I I wouldn't have gotten into this
if I didn't know that was it.
Have you ever felt like that with Christ
where it's like, you know, okay, I
didn't know this is what I was getting
into when I decided to believe in Jesus.
See, and I think the reason is the
reason I bring this up all this to say
is to kind of intro us into what we're
talking about, which by the way, if you
have a Bible, turn to Colossians chapter
2 and chapter 3. Um, but the reason I
say this is I think we often don't tell
people what it really means to follow
Jesus. We don't tell people what it
looks like. We don't tell people what it
requires, what he asks of us. We don't
tell people these things. What we do
tell people is we tell them what
someone in a book I read calls calls the
lollipop gospel. It's the gospel where
we present Jesus as a magic genie who's
just going to solve all your problems,
take away all your pain and suffering.
And we say it to get people to believe
in him a lot of times. But what we often
leave out is what he asks us to do in
response to what he did for us. We we
don't like talking about what it means
to follow Jesus. You know, we don't we
don't like hearing Matthew 16:24. Then
Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever
wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross and
follow me." Verse 25, "For whoever wants
to save their life will lose it, but
whoever loses their life for me will
find it." We don't want to talk about
that. We don't People don't want to hear
that. Like, you know, we don't think
that's a good way to evangelize. You
know, I don't want to tell people, "Hey,
you should believe in Jesus because, you
know, you've sinned it and you need help
and he's he's the solution to that." But
I don't want to also I don't you know we
don't want to tell people but what he
asks of you is that you die to yourself.
Like nobody wants to say that to
somebody. So I think a lot of people end
up following Christ and later on they're
like wo there's so much more to this
than I thought. In a good way and in a
bad way. And I'm not saying that
following Jesus is bad by by no means.
Y'all know what I'm saying. What I am
saying is that people often follow Jesus
without really knowing what that looks
like and they find out later. And that's
the reason a lot of people fall away.
And that's the reason a lot of people
really struggle in their walk with
Christ is because they weren't taught
what it actually looks like to follow
Jesus. It's why a lot of people today
don't actually follow Jesus and they
leave they live lukewarm on the fence
kind of lives is because they think
that's okay. They don't they think Jesus
is cool with that. So if you have your
Bible, turn to Colossians 2:1 to15. It says,
says,
listen to this very slow. I want you to
close your eyes and literally listen to
this as I read this. In him also you
were circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands by putting off the
body of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ having been buried with him in
baptism in which you were also raised
with him through faith in the powerful
working of God who raised him from the
dead. And you were dead in your
trespasses and the uncircumcision of
your flesh. God made alive together with
him, having forgiven all of our
trespasses by cancelling the record of
debt that stood against us with its
legal demands. This he set aside,
nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the
rulers and authorities and put them to
open shame by triumphing over them. We
know this. This is the gospel. Really,
we know this. We know what Christ did.
We know that God nailed the legal
requirements for our sin to the cross so
that he could set them aside and forgive
us of our sin. We know that in baptism,
we've been buried with Christ. And
through faith, we are raised in Christ.
We know these things. Okay? People know
this. Here's what we don't know and
here's what people don't talk about and
what we don't want to stop doing. If
you're taking notes, write this down.
What we don't want to stop doing.
Colossians 3 1-10. Write it down. Listen
to this. Uh, and I highly recommend you
read on your own. It's a big passage.
But listen to this. If then, so pause.
In Colossians 2, Paul says, "You've been
raised with Christ." So you've been
buried with Christ, you know, you've
been baptized into his death, you've
also been raised. Now you're alive in
Christ. Right? So Paul says, if then,
okay, this Colossians 3. So he's saying
what I just told you. If then, that is true.
true.
If then you have been raised with
Christ, seek the things that are above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand
of God. Set your minds on the things
that are above, not on the things that
are on earth. For you have died and your
life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is your life, appears, then
you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly
in you. sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, covetness, which
is idolatry. On account of these, the
wrath of God is coming. In these you too
once walked when you were living in
them. But now, okay, you used to live in
these things that he just listed. But
now you must put them all away as well
as anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie
to one another, seeing that you have put
off the old self with with its practices
and have put on the new self which is
being renewed in knowledge after the
image of its creator. We don't want to
talk about this. Nobody wants to hear
this. No one, very few people, myself
included, read their Bible, read this
passage in Colossians 3 and get excited
and are like, "Yes, I want to put away
my evil desires and my anger and my bad
talk. I want to do these. I'm excited.
Here's the thing, though. We should be.
That's not what I'm I'm not saying that
we shouldn't be excited. This should I'm
not saying this should bum you. This
should excite us. I get to put off my
old self and put on a new self and act
like a different person. The issue I'm
bringing here is that we don't get
excited about this. Nobody wants to do
this as Christians today because we've
trained the church to think, "Okay, I
can live this half-life, this double
life where I'm good on Sundays and
Monday through Saturday, I act like a
completely different person and I look
no different than I did before I
believed in Jesus." That's not the
presence of the Holy Spirit. That is not
what a temple of the Holy Spirit looks
like. How can God himself dwell in you
and you look no different than you did
before? That's not possible. You can't
convince me that's possible. I heard
Francis Chan tell the story once that he
was given this analogy. He was saying,
"If I came to you and said, "God has
given me a special gift to play
basketball, but I went and played
basketball with you and I was absolutely
horrible. Would you believe me?" No, of
course not. So, if we come and say, "I
have the Holy Spirit, but then our lives
look the exact same as unbelievers,
should we believe you?" Now, I'm not
here to say go judge people and go make
assumptions about who truly is a
believer, who's saved, who's not. That's
not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is
is Paul is saying here, "Hey, here's the
gospel. Here's what Christ did. He
nailed your sin to the cross. He buried
you in baptism and he raised you through
faith." So, because of that, here's
here's what we do with the normal gospel
in the church today. We take that and we
stop there. We don't read past that. But
what Paul says is, "If then that has
happened, put to death every earthly
thing in you and don't look or think at
the earthly things, but set your mind
and eyes on the things of above." Nobody
wants to hear that, but we need to do
it. It's a command.
So what does Paul say? Says in the very
last verse, says verse 10, he says, "Do
not lie to one another, seeing that you
have put off the old self with its
practices and have put on the new self
which is being renewed in knowledge
after the image of its creator." Here's
what I'm not saying. I'm not getting on
the mic here to tell you I'm better than
you. You don't know what you're doing
and you're a bad Christian and you
should be discouraged. That's not what
I'm saying. Here's what I'm saying. And
here's what Paul is saying. Yes, this is
true. But also, your new self is being
renewed. You're not going to look like
Christ overnight. This is a process.
It's not renewed. It is being renewed.
It's a process. It's something that's
ongoingly happening. This is happening
right now
after the image of its creator. So, what
does that mean? What does that mean? It
means what Paul says in Romans that we
were predestined to be conformed to the
image of God's son. God called us before
the beginning of time to look like
Christ. So we should be as Christians.
We should be getting renewed day by day
to look more like our creator in the way
we live, in the way we talk, in the way
we think, in the things we think about,
in the things we look towards, in the
things we set our mind on, in the way we
treat others, in our relationships, in
our jobs, in all these areas. We are
made before the beginning of time to
look like Christ in every area of our
lives. This is a process. This is
something we learn over time. So, here's
what we do. We've talked about what we
what we what we don't want to stop
doing. Now, if you're taking notes,
here's what we don't want to do. We
we're not doing it, and we don't want to
start doing it. Colossians 3:12-17.
Put on then as God's chosen ones.
What a blessing to be called that. Holy
and beloved, compassionate hearts,
kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience, bearing with one another. And
if one has a complaint against one
another, forgiving each other, as the
Lord has forgiven you, so you must also
forgive. And let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts to which indeed you
were called in one body. And be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly, teaching and admonishing
one another in all wisdom, singing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do in word and deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Christ.
A lot of Christians today in the
American church don't want to do this.
And it's and it's baffling to me and it
should be baffling to a lot of you cuz I
read that and I'm like, I want to sound
like that. I want I want somebody to if
they had to take a paper and write down
Braxen, what is he like? I want I want
this. This is what I want someone to
write down. I want to have a
compassionate heart and be kind and
humble and meek and patient. I want to
bear with people. I want to forgive
people. I want to, you know, I I want to
I want Christ's peace to rule my hearts.
I want Christ's word to dwell in me
richly so that I teach others and
admonish others with wisdom and song. I
want this. We should want this as
Christians. This should excite us that
we're even able through the Holy Spirit
to look like this. That's insane.
So Paul gives quite a couple examples
and one of the ones that stands out to
me, two things. and let the peace of
Christ rule in your hearts. Too many
Christians today are living without
peace. It's crazy to me. You were made
in Christ to have peace and enjoy it day
by day. Now, I'm not saying that peace
doesn't change by situation. Yes, it
does when it's yours. Here's the
difference. Christ says, "In this world,
you will have trouble and you'll have
much tribulation." John 16:33, "But I've
said the things these things to you so
that in me you may have peace." As
Christians, we can have peace in
tribulation. We can have a peace that
doesn't change by circumstance. Peace
that changed by circumstances are made
up inauthentic peace. The true peace of
Christ is something that was made to
rule in our hearts as Christians. The
next thing he says, he says that the
word of Christ needs to dwell in us
richly so that we teach others and
admonish others with wisdom.
Also singing songs to the Lord with
thankfulness in your hearts. So what is
he saying here? When you sing to the
Lord, don't do it without gratitude in
your heart. Sing with thankfulness here.
Don't sing out of an empty heart. Sing
in gratitude.
Make sense? So, whatever we do, we're
supposed to do, word or deed. He's
saying in everything you do, whether it
be by what you say or what you do, do it
in the name of Jesus. How many things
are you doing in your life today that
you couldn't do in the name of Jesus
because they're displeasing to God?
Probably too much. And the same for me.
Maybe it's the way you think. Maybe
you're very pessimistic or cynical or
judgmental. Maybe you're maybe you're a
bitter person. What is it? Because we
just got two lists here. We got the
first list of what we don't want to look like
like
and we got the second list of what we
want to look like. So, if you're someone
who likes taking notes, I know a lot of
you guys take notes on the podcast. I
would after the podcast, open your Bible
to Colossians 3 1- 17. And I want you to
make a like a like a chart, like a T-chart.
T-chart.
What I don't want to look like as a
Christian and what I want to look like
as a Christian. I don't want to look
like an angry person, full of malice,
full of slander, full of gossip. I don't
want to live in sexual moral. I don't
want to look like this. What am I
supposed to look like? Kind, meek,
humble, patient, bearing with people,
forgiving people because Christ has
forgiven me. I want to look like this.
So two lists. We got nine things to put
off. Nine things to put off if you're
making that chart or nine things I don't
want to look like. This is how I would
sum up uh these things. These things
that we we we must put off if we want to
follow Christ in in denying our flesh.
Number one, put off seeking earthly
things. Number two, put off sexual
immorality. Number three, put off all
impurity. Number four, put off bad
passions and lust. Number five, evil
desires. Number six, covetness and
idolatry. One and the same. Number
seven, anger, wrath, malice, slander,
and bad or inappropriate talk. Number
eight, lying. Number nine, our old ways.
What a privilege to put off our old ways.
ways.
Now, the the second chart is eight
things we do want to look like. Eight
things we want to put on. Paul says,
"Take this off and put this on is what
he's saying. So, this is what God's
people are supposed to look like. This
is this is what we should look like, act
like, be living in and working towards.
Did you catch that? This is the eight
things I'm about to lift off. What we
should look like, what we should act
like, what we should be living like, and
what we should be working towards.
Number one, compassionate hearts. Have a
compassionate heart as a Christian.
Number two, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. Number three,
bearing with and forgiving each other.
Number four, unifying love. Number five,
the peace of God. Number six,
thankfulness and gratitude. Number
seven, scripture and worship with number
six, thankfulness and gratitude. So
number seven, scripture and worship
paired with number six and number eight,
doing everything for him. Think about
number eight verse, number nine from the
two lists. We want to put off our old
ways and put on doing everything in the
name of Jesus. This is what we don't
talk about and this is why I call it the
the cost of following Christ, crucifying
your flesh. It is a cost. Christ says if
anyone wants to be my disciple, he must
take up his cross. He's not saying if
you struggle to take up your cross,
you're not truly my disciple. You're not
saved. You're not That's not what he's
saying. What he's saying is if you want
to follow me, this is what it looks
like. And if it doesn't look like this,
you're not following me. You're
following yourself and your own desires.
You're following your flesh. There's
one. Pick a road. So, for anyone who's
been watching me for any amount of time,
I think this message would remind you of
a quite a few that I've preached before.
Um, the main being I I preached this
message called sin is not freedom out of
Galatians chapter 5. Galatians 5 is
essentially the same thing as what Paul
is doing here. He gives a list of things
we shouldn't live as Christians and then
he gives a list of the fruit of spirit.
He gives a list of the works of the
flesh and the fruits of the spirit. What
Paul's giving here is a list of the the
the things of the world or the things of
the old self. And then he gives a list
of the things that what the things of
what a person of God should look like.
So the reason I call it the cost of
following Christ is because following
Christ is not free. Salvation is free.
Being a disciple is not. Being a
disciple you you can't coast by as a man
of God, woman of God. You can't just
float by like a floaty in a pool and
just expect to get anywhere. It takes
intentional disciplehip. Following
Christ takes intentional attention and
energy and devotion. It takes effort. It
takes discipline, self-control more than
anything else. Let me get this through
your brain. It takes the Holy Spirit.
You can't do this on your own. There's
no part of me that's saying that we need
the help of the Holy Spirit. But as we
partner with the Holy Spirit, we have
the opportunity to put off our old self
and put on our new self. And this is an
opportunity that it's so ironic that we
don't preach this when we preach the gospel.
gospel.
It's ironic that when we preach the
gospel, we don't also pair it with now
take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Deny yourself. You're not living for
yourself anymore. You live for Christ
now. You look different. Your life
should look different. It's ironic that
we don't preach these together. And it's
funny to me that we don't preach these
together because this is not a burden. 1
John 5 says the the the commands of God
are not burdensome. Christ says Matthew
11 that his yoke is easy, his burden's
light. This shouldn't be burdensome.
This is exciting. It's exciting to be
able to put off your old self. Why would
you want to look like your old self? I
don't know about y'all, I hate how I
used to look. I hate how I used to treat
people. I hate the way I used to live.
Not in a self-shaming way, not in a I
can't stand myself, but in a way of I
never want my life to look like that
ever again because now I know Christ.
I've seen the standard set through
Christ and I want to reach that given. I
will fall short. Romans chapter 3, all
fall short of the glory of God. I will
fall short. You'll fall short, but I
want to get there. So when Paul's saying
set your minds on the things of above,
not the earthly things, not keep your
mind always on your money. Keep your
mind always on sexual immorality. Keep
your mind always on the person who
shouldn't be in your life. Keep your
mind always on the things that don't
matter and you won't take to heaven.
Turn look to Christ. What's the standard
work towards it through his help?
It's so fascinating to me that and this
is the last thought I'll give and we'll
land it here and we'll pray. It's
fascinating me that when Paul says we
were raised with him,
it was through faith in the powerful
working of God. There's a powerful
working of God. Philippians chapter 2, I
believe, says that he has who has
started something in you will complete
it. God will complete what he has
started in you. And I know it's hard to
be like, okay, God sanctifying me, but I
feel like I'm taking two steps forward,
three steps back.
But we have faith in the powerful
working of God. Ephesians 3:20 says that
God can do abundantly more than we could
ever think, ask or imagine through what?
The power at work within us. Who is
that? The Holy Spirit. So, what's my
point? My point is, and my final point
to you is do not be discouraged,
beloved. My friend, do not be
discouraged. With the help of the Holy
Spirit, you have an opportunity to put
off your old self. Why would you want to
look like that?
and through his help and his power and
his strength which is not your own. His
peace not your own. His joy not your
own. Through these things,
you can begin to look like Christ. So
what does Paul say? This the last verse
I'm going to give you.
I have been crucified with Christ and
it's no longer I who live but Christ who
lives through me. So when here's what
I'm saying when we read Colossians
chapter 3.
As God's chosen people who are holy and
we need to put on compassion and
kindness and humility. Here's what I'm saying.
saying.
It is the Holy Spirit's. It is Christ
who lives through you now. It's the
spirit of Christ that lives through you now.
now.
It's his kindness through you. It's his
love through you. And if it's not, it
should be. It's supposed to be.
It's supposed to be his kindness.
For example, our kindness as Christians
shouldn't be created and authenticated.
It should be an overflow of what Christ
is doing in us, pouring into the lives
of others. It's him through us. So
Lord, I thank you for this week's
episode. Heavenly Father, we just come
before you as your chosen people. What a
privilege to be called that. And God, I
just want to thank you for the ability
to put off the old self and just put on
the new self. I thank you for the
ability to be buried and raised with
Christ. I thank you for the ability, the ability,
ability,
Lord, help my words. I thank you for the
ability to look like you and and be
renewed after the image of our creator.
I thank you for the ability uh to treat
others the way you would treat them and
uh have a heart for people, have your
heart for people uh and love and
kindness and compassion. I thank you for
the ability to forgive others and um
just put off our flesh. So Lord, I pray
we would just be reminded tonight of the
cost of following you. You require of us
that we take up our cross. This is it's
not a question. It it's it's it is a if
you want to follow me, this is what will
happen. It will inevitably happen if you
are truly following.
So Lord, we look at the cost of
following you and we're excited.
Lord, it says that for the joy set
before you, you endured the cross. So
God, I pray we would have a joy set
before us as we carry our cross. I pray
we would have a joy set before us as we
take up our cross and crucify our flesh.
I pray there would be a joy in that.
Would we not be reluctant and burdened
to crucify oursel? Would it be an excitement?
excitement?
Would we be less excited to fall short
and more excited to seek you and grow
and set our mind on the things of above
and be like you? God, I thank you that
we can do this with the help of your
Holy Spirit. I pray that you would just
bless us with this. Bless us with the
ability to put off oursel. bless us with
the ability to walk in your ways and
seek you and pursue you. We can't do
this on our own. We know we can't do
this on our own. So Lord, we seek you
and we ask for help. We ask for you to
be with us.
And Lord, I thank you for what you say
in John chapter 14 that the Holy Spirit
will be he will live with us and in us.
So God, thank you for your presence. I
pray that you continue to transform us
every single day. Conform us to the
image of your son just as you
predestined us to be. And God, I pray
over each and every single person that's
watching this on any platform at any
point in time. I pray you would bless
them. Would you keep them? Would you
make would you make your face shine upon
them? Would you be gracious unto them?
Turn your face toward them and give them
peace. Give them the peace of Christ
that it may rule in their hearts. God, I
pray you help them to crucify
themselves. Help them to take up their
cross. Help them to follow you as a true disciple.
disciple.
But let it not just end there, God. I
pray that their lives would demonstrate
what true disciples look like to others.
I pray they would motivate others who
are living lukewarm lives to follow you
wholeheartedly in devotion.
So God, we love you. We praise you and I
thank you for the ability to do this
all. So Lord, I pray that we would do
everything in the name of Jesus, giving
thanks to you, heavenly father, through
Christ. In Jesus mighty name we pray.
Amen. I don't think I have any
announcements. I hope you guys enjoyed
this episode. Let me know uh your
thoughts, how it impacted you, what you
got out of it, any of it. If you took
notes, tag me on Instagram. I love when
you'all do that. Uh, if you don't follow
me on Instagram or Tik Tok, links in the
bio to go do it. If you're watching this
on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, whatever it
is, Spotify, Apple, drop a follow if
you're not following already. YouTube,
subscribe, like the video. Helps out a
lot. Um, and I love you guys. God bless
you guys. Don't forget the cost of
following Christ. Take up your flesh and
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