{"id":15878,"date":"2026-03-18T16:25:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/?p=15878"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:15:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:15:25","slug":"are-you-dying-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/are-you-dying-too\/","title":{"rendered":"ARE YOU DYING, TOO?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Christian life isn’t a stroll down \u201ceasy street<\/em>\u201d; it\u2019s more like a march toward death row<\/em>. Jesus requires us to \u201cpick up our cross and follow (him)<\/em>\u201d, and Scripture orders us to, \u201cput to death the deeds of (our) sinful nature<\/em>\u201d (Ro.8:13<\/strong>). Dying is the destiny of every single believer, and whether we like it or not, the method<\/em> of execution has already been chosen for us: \u201ccrucifixion<\/u>!<\/em>\u201d (Gal.5:24<\/strong>). Suffocation or starvation would be much more comfortable by comparison, but alas, God only gives us this one dreadful option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Used literally, the term \u201ccrucify<\/em>\u201d (\u2018staur\u00f3\u014d\u2019) describes the way Roman soldiers fixed Jesus Christ to a wooden cross. But it\u2019s also used in a figurative sense for putting the old \u2018self\u2019 to death by submitting all decisions & desires to God. Either way, our fate will be similar to that of our Lord. To be precise, it\u2019ll be one that is attended with great pain. It shouldn\u2019t be too hard therefore, to recognize if and when you\u2019re being crucified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here are just a few simple signs…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FATIGUE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Jesus down this path means that you\u2019ll get tired. Not the kind of \u2018tired\u2019 that you experience after a long day of hard work, but the kind you feel from blood loss. Many things in life can wear you out, but crucifying the flesh will totally drain you. A good nap won\u2019t fix it any more than strong coffee could. And<\/em> this is<\/em> just the beginning<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your only consolation is knowing that Jesus felt the same.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMMOBILITY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ancient victims of this technique were typically hammered onto wooden beams with iron spikes, piercing both the wrists and both of the feet, making escape impossible. This is a vital part of the procedure because every Christian will need something to keep them from running away, especially after they\u2019ve crossed the \u2018pain threshold\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if your flesh is to be crucified, you can expect, sooner or later, to feel entirely stuck<\/em>\u2026at more points than one. You\u2019ll know it\u2019s happened when you can\u2019t get away, and you feel like you\u2019re bound to die right where you are. Your situation has become a tomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your only consolation is knowing that the Lord wants this for you.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AGONY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical records indicate that the pain felt in crucifixion was of such intensity that our English word \u201cexcruciating<\/em>\u201d was invented just to describe it. It literally means \u201cout of the cross<\/em>\u201d; a unique word<\/em> to explain a unique sensation<\/em>. And this is what you\u2019re in for. No other pain known to man will compare to the discomfort you feel when you obey the Lord on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Suffocation or starvation would be much more comfortable by comparison<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lots of things have made you writhe in life, but this is unparalleled. You keep hoping to find a position for yourself that\u2019s more comfortable than the one you\u2019re in, but the harder you try, the more it hurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your only consolation is knowing that you\u2019re still in God\u2019s predetermined plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DEATH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Death is the ultimate goal. Nobody survives this. If your flesh has been crucified properly, then some part of your life is gone forever. There\u2019s no getting it back. It is finished<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your only consolation is knowing that resurrection is just around the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LIFE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lo\u2019 and behold, you survive the ordeal! Not by escaping death, but by living through <\/em>it. Jesus said, \u201cAnyone who believes in me will live, even after dying<\/em>\u201d (John 11:25<\/strong>). No Christian crucifixion is complete without a resurrection. There\u2019s life on the other side of each proverbial \u201cdeath<\/em>\u201d, and it\u2019s a life that\u2019s far better than the one you left behind when you died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARE YOU DYING TOO?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neither of us is dead yet, but there are things in both of our lives that still need to die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If following Jesus and obeying God\u2019s Word has brought you to a place that feels frighteningly \u2018narrow\u2019, you might be headed in the right direction (Mt.7:14<\/strong>). It\u2019s not always bad to seem stuck in a place you wish you could escape but can\u2019t. If life hurts, and you feel tired, join the club. Lots of Christians have died like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But going through such an excruciating process will make you more like Christ than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that<\/em> should be the only consolation you ever really need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Christian life isn’t a stroll down \u201ceasy street\u201d; it\u2019s more like a march toward death row. Jesus requires us to \u201cpick up our cross and follow (him)\u201d, and Scripture orders us to, \u201cput to death the deeds of (our) sinful nature\u201d (Ro.8:13). Dying is the destiny of every single believer, and whether we like … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":15881,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[4,9,21,5,10,20,6,22,7,11,8,12,13],"class_list":["post-15878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pastors-notes","tag-believers","tag-believers-church","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-community","tag-crucifixion","tag-duluth","tag-dying","tag-fellowship","tag-minnesota","tag-superior","tag-west-duluth","tag-wisconsin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15878"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15893,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15878\/revisions\/15893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jfbduluth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}