Challenge to live

[Valerie]

We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him — even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world; for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even a single representative of it, even for a single moment. The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to be a Christian — it is not hard, it is impossible. No one can knowingly accept a way of life which, the more truly it is lived, lead the more surely to one’s own destruction. And that is why we constantly rebel, try to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, try to make the best of both worlds We must ultimately choose — our felicity lies in one world or the other, not in both. God give us the strength to pursue the path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian.” - Blessed Father Seraphim Rose

[Sudsy]

We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him — even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world; for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even a single representative of it, even for a single moment. The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to be a Christian — it is not hard, it is impossible. No one can knowingly accept a way of life which, the more truly it is lived, lead the more surely to one’s own destruction. And that is why we constantly rebel, try to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, try to make the best of both worlds We must ultimately choose — our felicity lies in one world or the other, not in both. God give us the strength to pursue the path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian.” - Blessed Father Seraphim Rose

Jesus did not deny that being His follower would have it's challenges as our lives should be a confrontation to the ways of this world. He said if He was hated, we would be also. Pretty strong word. Sometimes though it is not our Christ following that we are hated for but some things we might be doing in our flesh and not living by the Spirit. It is so important that what we are being hated for are the kinds of things Jesus was hated for as He so loved the world.

On the brighter side Jesus said He came to give us abundant life. So although there certainly is a crucifixion going on in us of the flesh there also is a new life in the Spirit with all the wonderful fruit that this provides. We are either then predominantly walking according to the flesh and overcoming it's temptations or we are walking in the Spirit and experiencing the love, joy and peace in the Spirit and all the other descriptions of Spirit fruit.

I think some have mistaken the Christian life to be one of nothing but doing without and just enduring life in this world. I don't think that is what Jesus intended for us. He came to bring LIFE, and that more abundantly.

[Sudsy]

We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection. If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him — even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world. And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world; for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even a single representative of it, even for a single moment. The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to be a Christian — it is not hard, it is impossible. No one can knowingly accept a way of life which, the more truly it is lived, lead the more surely to one’s own destruction. And that is why we constantly rebel, try to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, try to make the best of both worlds We must ultimately choose — our felicity lies in one world or the other, not in both. God give us the strength to pursue the path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian.” - Blessed Father Seraphim Rose

Jesus did not deny that being His follower would have it's challenges as our lives should be a confrontation to the ways of this world. He said if He was hated, we would be also. Pretty strong word. Sometimes though it is not our Christ following that we are hated for but some things we might be doing in our flesh and not living by the Spirit. It is so important that what we are being hated for are the kinds of things Jesus was hated for as He so loved the world.

On the brighter side Jesus said He came to give us abundant life. So although there certainly is a crucifixion going on in us of the flesh there also is a new life in the Spirit with all the wonderful fruit that this provides. We are either then predominantly walking according to the flesh and overcoming it's temptations or we are walking in the Spirit and experiencing the love, joy and peace in the Spirit and all the other descriptions of Spirit fruit.

I think some have mistaken the Christian life to be one of nothing but doing without and just enduring life in this world. I don't think that is what Jesus intended for us. He came to bring LIFE, and that more abundantly.

Correction to the underlined - replace 'overcoming it's temptations' with 'yielding to it's temptations'. Sorry, another brain slip up.

[temporal1]

We must be crucified personally, mystically; for through crucifixion is the only path to resurrection.
If we would rise with Christ, we must first be humbled with Him — even to the ultimate humiliation, being devoured and spit forth by the uncomprehending world.

And we must be crucified outwardly, in the eyes of the world;
for Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, and the world cannot bear it, even a single representative of it, even for a single moment.

The world can only accept Antichrist, now or at any time. No wonder then, that it is hard to be a Christian — it is not hard,
it is impossible.

No one can knowingly accept a way of life which, the more truly it is lived, lead the more surely to one’s own destruction.
And that is why we constantly rebel, try to make life easier, try to be half-Christian, try to make the best of both worlds We must ultimately choose — our felicity lies in one world or the other, not in both.

God give us the strength to pursue the path to crucifixion; there is no other way to be Christian.” -
Blessed Father Seraphim Rose

This is put so beautifully, thank you. Dying to self has been a topic, on MD and MN.
Coincidentally, i just listened to Jesse Lee Peterson speak to this truth, he used different words, a different approach, but Truth is Truth. i was intrigued with his words+approach, now reading this, placing JLP beside Fr Rose is - joyful.

At one point, JLP summed his words up, .. “in order to live, we must die.”
He reaches out to those who may not have ever been exposed to scriptures. He tries to find words to engage them.
He’s direct and not “polished.” (he may have a speech impediment.) but, Truth is Truth.

Truth transcends language and style.

[temporal1]

This is an excerpt: JLP ends with, “the ego death is hard.”

BOND (BROTHERHOOD ORGANIZATION OF A NEW DESTINY) / “Are You Afraid of Death? You've Been Manipulated with Words.”

Jesse Lee Peterson / The Fallen State