“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:25
Dear Ones:
It was Jim Elliot, missionary to the Auca Indians, who once wrote: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Of what was he speaking? And what does the Lord Jesus mean by losing one’s life for His sake?
We get a glimpse of the issues at hand on this subject when we read the Lord’s words: “If any man come after me, let him DENY himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24) The greatest deterrent and obstacle to following Christ is not the world or the devil, but ME, the “himself” of which Christ speaks. In the little pronoun, “I,” we find the preoccupation, and absorption with oneself. We shall henceforth in this discussion call “oneself,” just “self.” Not only are we born with this absorbing, and dominating selfish perspective, but it manifests itself by an attitude of independence of God, a resistance and rebellion against God (whether aggressive or passive), a turning away from God. And yet, this state of mind and heart, this natural leaning and bent, is diametrically opposed to all that God would have us to know and live. We are thus faced not only with a dilemma, but with a monumental choice, which will determine whether we truly live or just exist, whether we know God, or just know about Him. Why must “self” be dealt with, and in a radical manner?
Imagine being on the shore of the ocean. We look out to sea, and though we think we may see a very long way, we can only perceive reality to the point of the horizon. Imagine all that is beyond that horizon, most of which we could not grasp or understand. It is so in the spiritual realm, where Christ is Creator and Redeemer. He sees beyond the horizon of all existence because He made it. He also sees and knows absolutely the spiritual issues, often invisible, that face mankind, specifically those which apply to each of us. His call to us down through the ages has ALWAYS been, “Have faith in God,” or rather, “Trust Me Fully.” That trust involves taking Him at His word with regard to “self.” He declares that it will NOT be the center of attention any more. It will NOT be the one trusted in. The Apostle Paul declared: “I am crucified with Christ…” (Gal. 2:20) If we must “deny,” forget, turn away from self, even taking up of a cross to follow Christ, how is it be done? There are two answers. The first is that ALL debt owed to God because of our sin, all that “self” has done, thought, or been, past, present, and future, must be paid. This Christ did on the cross. He paid the entire debt, and forever, on that cross. The second answer is that the tyrannical rule of self must be broken. This Christ also did, for He took that self with Him to the cross, and we died in Him. Though the work of Christ is absolute and perfect, it is only in the measure that faith lays hold on the reality of it that we experience it in our lives. It is as we rely wholly upon the Spirit of God, trusting in Christ fully, that we know and experience this new LIFE to which Christ has called us.
So then, we lose all (…of self and sin), and this by the work of Christ on Calvary. We gain all that is IN Him, experiencing this by the Spirit, for we have been made complete in Christ. The “first-fruits” of this life are seen by the Spirit’s working in the life. But our view is only to the horizon. Beyond that horizon is “fullness of joy,” the likeness of Christ, and the knowledge of Him, knowing Him as we are known.
Dear Father, open our hearts to understand that our present “loss” is nothing compared to the “gain” which Thou hast promised. Give us to understand and to grasp that no other higher, or more powerful appeal, could have been made by Thee, than the giving of Thy Son to pay our debt, and BE our deliverer from self, sin, and Satan. Grant us grace to truly live wholly, and only for Thee. Then our lives will glorify Thee, and others will be blessed, for they shall “taste and see that the Lord is good.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad