Why We’re Alive

The Christian faith is defined by radical transformation, unwavering commitment, and urgent participation in the Great Commission. Drawing on personal testimony and the final words of the Apostle Paul, this summary outlines the non-negotiable requirements for believers to step out of complacency, embrace their identity as soldiers of Christ, and become effective witnesses in a broken world.

1. The Call to Radical Discipleship: Count the Cost

The message emphasizes that Christianity is not a passive pursuit of comfort but an enlistment in an army, requiring the denial of self and the commitment to suffering.

A. Denying Self and Counting the Cost

The idea that the gift of righteousness is “free” is often misunderstood; while it is free for us to accept, it “cost him everything to give it”. Understanding the price Jesus paid determines the believer’s value before the Father, proving they are “that valuable that heaven went bankrupt to get me back”.

Entering the Christian life means signing up to die. Jesus calls for total self-denial, instructing believers to “deny self, deny your feelings, deny your thoughts about this, deny selfish ambition, [and] deny self-preservation”. Believers are required to count the cost, as this walk is not meant to be haphazard or passive.

B. Embracing the Soldier’s Life

God did not call believers to be passive Christians but soldiers. The Christian life is prophesied to include suffering, hardship, and persecution.

• Enduring Hardship: Paul instructed Timothy to “Endure hard times” and “take with me your share of the hardships and the suffering which you are called to endure as a good first class soldier of Jesus Christ”. This includes being mocked, made fun of, or misunderstood.
• No Civilian Entanglements: A soldier enlisted in the army of the Lord “must not really” get entangled in the affairs of civilian life. Those who are not engaged in spiritual warfare do entangle themselves in these affairs, demonstrating they are more concerned with their personal life than the war they are in.
• Pleasing the Enlister: Soldiers are called to please “him who enlisted him as a soldier,” which requires avoiding entanglement in the world’s affairs.

2. The Power of Identity and Righteousness

Effective ministry flows from a renewed mind that sees the believer as God sees them—a child of God, a force to be reckoned with, and the righteousness of God.

A. Transforming the Mind

God wants to transform the believer’s picture of who they are so they can “see yourself the way that he sees you”. Believers are encouraged to recognize that they are a child of God with the King of Kings living inside of them through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

• Beyond Feelings: The Christian walk requires moving from living by feelings to walking by faith.
• Carnality and Timidity: The timidity inside the body of Christ is in “equal proportion to her carnality,” meaning the carnal mind produces timidity, while the spiritual, renewed mind leads to a sold-out Christian life.
• The Power Within: The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in the believer. This Spirit is present to “quicken your mortal body” right now, training the senses to discern between good and evil through righteousness.

B. The Free Gift of Righteousness

The free gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace allow believers to reign as kings. Paul defined grace as the “divine inspiration of God upon your heart with the outward reflection of God upon your life”.

• Departing from Iniquity: Every person who “names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity”. God calls saved individuals saints—holy, consecrated, set apart, and blameless—and if a believer doesn’t see this identity, they cannot fight the fight of faith.

3. The Urgency of Evangelism and Witness

The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to be the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing faith and shining a light in the darkness.

A. The Gospel is a Rescue Mission

The speaker’s own life was saved from depression and suicidal thoughts because of an encounter with Christ, emphasizing that many people are lost and broken, needing “one encounter, one person to be Jesus to them”. The speaker’s purpose (“why I am alive”) is to equip the body of Christ to step out and share their faith.

• Going Out: The organization “Power and Love” conducts 2-day identity training schools where people are equipped, listen, and then “go out” into public places (like restaurants) to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
• Mass Impact: Equipping 20,000 people through “Power and Love” in 2025 means that if each person shares their faith just three times a week, over 3.1 million people will receive the love of Jesus. This impact is significantly greater than merely attending conference after conference without acting on what was received.
• The Cost of Silence: The speaker was one of those who never heard the gospel for 34 years and almost went to hell, stating: “I’m not okay with people going to hell”. Believers must share their faith daily because they might be the only opportunity someone has to hear the truth of Jesus.

B. Love as the Defining Mark

The love that believers demonstrate is the definitive proof of their discipleship. This love, however, is not “ooshy gushy mushy,” but the real love that “suffers long” and was demonstrated by Jesus enduring suffering and having His flesh ripped apart on the cross.

• Gospel Content: Evangelism is about sharing the truth of the gospel, not about trying to “hoodwink somebody” or “lasso them in”. It is simply becoming the witness God created the believer to be.
• Miracles as Normal: The goal is to “truly burn for Jesus,” manifesting the “normal Christian life” by healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the leper, and casting out demons. Believers have “freely received, freely give”.