John
12: 24-25 ‘Listen carefully unless a
grain of wheat is buried in the ground dead to the world it is never anymore
than a grain of wheat, but if it is buried it sprouts and reproduces itself
many times over. But if you let it go, reckless in your love you’ll have it
forever real and eternal.’ MSG
He who loves his life will lose
it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life John 12: 25 NKJV.
In
this verse Jesus said he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life
will keep it forever. How do we hate our lives? Does it mean we should now hate
ourselves and not love ourselves any longer? Jesus was talking about his
impending crucifixion and letting his disciples understand that just as he is sacrificing
his life for the sins of the world, they would also have to go through same.
What
is a sacrifice? It is an act of slaughtering an animal or person or
surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity.If you sacrifice something
that is valuable or important you give it up usually to obtain something else
for yourself or on behalf of other people.
So
Jesus gave up his life so that we may have everlasting life, Jesus was however
glorified by his resurrection (Phil 2: 8-11, Luke 24: 25-26) and through his
resurrection came the Holy Spirit ‘(When
he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to
everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,f
because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)John 7:39
through the Holy Spirit Jesus has regenerated many other disciples and
believers who are called to do even greater works than he did here on earth.
The many grains that was reproduced has become the church giving full
expression of him here on earth (Eph. 3:21).
What does it mean to love our
lives?
When
we love our lives it means that we are not intentional about pleasing God, we
cannot sacrifice our sleep, money, time, talents, resources etc for God we do
things the way want and how we want it. We give no thought to the needs of God
and what he would have us do, we are selfish and love our lives too much that
we lay up treasures on this earth alone, treasures that moth will eat and
thieves will break in and steal not giving a care about laying up treasures in
heaven, not giving a thought to eternity which is our final destination but
just living for now alone.
How do we give up our lives?
We
give up our lives by surrendering our lives to God. We give up our lives by not
trying to do things our own way, we give up our lives by making decisions not the
way we want to but by seeking God first, we give up our lives by spending our
money the way God wants it to be spent and not how we want, we give up our
lives by spending our time not the way our flesh wants us to but completely
yielding to the Holy Spirit and walking in complete obedience to God.
Some
people have concluded that the way they are is just how they are and that
nothing can change that, but that is completely wrong it is a lie of the devil
because you can be all that God has called you to be only if you are willing to
yield completely to God and allow him take the wheel of your life.
1
Peter 1: 7 That the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with
fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ:
If you
are truly walking with God, no matter what you are going through now, there is
a glory that is coming at the end of the tunnel, just as Jesus went through the
crucifixion and obtained the glorification afterwards, so do not despair. If we
want to live a life that not only promises a life eternal but also promises a
glorious life in this world then your life has to be a living sacrifice only
then can we truly live any other life apart from that is really death even if
it is wrapped up nicely.
Which
will you choose today? The broad way that leads to death or the narrow way that
leads to life? Choose wisely.
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