The issue of the Christian life is, are we willing to be united with Christ in His death on the cross? Our success in leading the victorious life depends almost entirely on this.

There is no doubt that the philosophy of humanism has made tremendous inroads into Christian thinking. Today the Gospel is presented as a method of making our human life more comfortable, more successful, more productive, more peaceful, more healthy, more entertaining, more joyful.

The Gospel is presented to the unsaved as their guarantee of escaping Hell and living forever in Heaven and the means of solving all of their problems.

"Christ is the answer. Get a life!"

Anyone who departs from this viewpoint had better be prepared to enjoy his few friends.

Let me tell you something. Christ not only is the answer, He is the big problem! For the most part you are not contending with the devil, you are contending with Christ. The name Israel means "he struggles with God."

Christ has volcanoes for eyes. He has a sword coming from His mouth. To walk with Him is to walk with the Consuming Fire of Israel. Did you know that?

What an idea we have of God and His Christ!

It is time someone awakened the American believers. They do not understand that Christ is the Furnaceof Israel. He holds all the believers in His mouth and spits out those that are lukewarm. Honest!

What kind of a Christ are you presenting, Brother Thompson? The One who is seated at the right hand of the Father. Where did you get yours?

If we are to live the life as God wants it lived, if we are to be transformed into the image of His Son, we must be joined to Christ's death. We must share His sufferings

It is only as we are willing to share His sufferings that we can experience the power of His resurrection; and it is only as we experience the power of His resurrection that we are able to share His sufferings.

As we experience His resurrection and His sufferings on the cross we attain the early resurrection from the dead. This is what Paul taught so it must be right.

"Does Christ want me to live or die?" you may ask. The answer is, "He wants you to die so you may live."

If God tells a horse He wants him to go to Heaven to roam in acres of clover, that is one matter. Just be a good horse and you'll get there.

But if God informs the horse He wants him to play the piano, then the horse must be born again a piano player must be born in him.

Your natural man can no more inherit the Kingdom of God than a horse can play the piano. You must be born again. This doesn't mean you "have made a decision for Christ," it means Christ has been born in you. The old "you" has got to go. He can't "play the piano" like God wants it played.

Christ can play any piece of music you put in front of Him. Get Christ formed in you. You'll be able to play any piece put in front of you. And the music will make the angels sing!