"I" Must Die - Kings Ascent

"I" must die,
to death I shall crucify,
me, myself and I,
I surrender my life,
to my Lord, Jesus Christ.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.
(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

The spirit of being a lover of self is in the world, and it is powerful.
Jesus taught the exact opposite.

And He was saying to them all,
“If anyone wants to come after Me,
he must deny himself, take up his cross daily,
and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake,
this is the one who will save it.
For what good does it do a person
if he gains the whole world,
but loses or forfeits himself?
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of him
when He comes in His glory
and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”
(Luke 9:23–26)

The question remains:
Will I lay down My life and follow Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, the Holy, righteous Lamb without spot or blemish? Or will I add my own version of Jesus, one that fits my lifestyle,
to a life I refuse to lay down?

“Enter through the narrow gate;
for the gate is wide and the way is broad
that leads to destruction,
and there are many who enter through it.
For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted
that leads to life,
and there are few who find it.”
(Matthew 7:13–14)

And Jesus said:
“I am the door;
if anyone enters through Me,
he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.”
(John 10:9)