Life in Death

You may or may not have seen my post from last night.  Coffee and the wee hours of the night  produced a deadly combination of rabbit trails and a not so coherent posting.  I believe that I got off track and tried to post two thoughts in one.  So I decided to forgo the original post and focus on the principle of life through death.  Lord willing, I will post about being Hidden in Christ at a later date. 

The scriptures have been resonating in me about this concept of life through death, of losing your life in order to gain it.  Mark 8:35 states that, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."  So how is this possible and do I really believe it?  Do I take the step of faith that my life will truly be saved if I lose it for the gospel?  Let me assure you, God keeps His promises.  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you." (Deut 31:6)  Jesus reassures His disciples this same promise in Matthew 28:20 after the great commission, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  How can you trust that God truly has your best interests in heart?  Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God's glory and honor will always super cede our happiness and our desires.  "For we are created by Him and for Him." (Col 1:16)  However, it does brings Him glory when He blesses us, when He takes care of us, when He gives us life.  So not only are His promises assured, they are also good.  The reward is promised that we will gain life if we lose ours for the gospel, so what does that practically look like?

 Put to death your sinful nature and your sinful desires and do it daily.  Read Romans 6:1-14.  It explains not only what the death of Christ meant, but also what the resurrection of Christ meant as well.  Verse 3 and 4, we share in His death and in His life through the resurrection.  Since we have been put to death in Christ and raised with Him in new life, we are no longer slaves to sin.  We must throw off our sin nature and not let it reign in our mortal bodies. (verse 12)  The command is reiterated in Colossians 3:5-10. 

He is an opportunity to save your life and for me to save my own!  I must lose these desires, I must release my desires that corrupt me and that destroy me.  Think about it, if you want to save your life, you will lose it.  Don't hold on to anything will a clutched fist.  Don't say to God, I will serve you in all of these other areas like reading my Bible everyday and tithing, and in return let me continue to sleep with my girlfriend of boyfriend.  There is nothing done half way here.  True surrender is your whole life.  It doesn't say lose some of your life, you know the easy stuff to give up, but not your desires or goals, hold on to them and you will gain your life.  No, it says lose your life in its entirety.  The things you are unwilling to give up will ultimately destroy you.  So what is holding you back from experience the goodness of the Lord?  What are you unwilling to give up?  I can testify to that, the things that God is calling me to be sanctified from this year, have always destroyed me.  Video games and laziness single handily destroyed my efforts to graduate college on time.  My unwillingness to submit my relationships to Lord in purity has caused disaster, heart ache and regret.

I implore you to see this.  Your selfish desires will destroy you, they will lead to a unfulfilled life mired with regret, pain, and scars.  Find life in your own death.  Die to yourself and submit those dreams and desires to Lord and let Him fulfill them.  He is a good father and a giver of good gifts (Matt 7:11).  He will give us the desires of our heart, however it requires one thing, to delight in Him. (Psalms 37:4) Find your satisfaction in Him and you will not be disappointed, in fact you will be never be satisfied like that elsewhere. (John 6:35) Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalms 34:8)

I am praying for you all, that you see that God has a good work to be carried out in you until Christ's return!  (Phil 1:6)