What does it mean that whoever loses his life will find it but
whoever saves it will lose it? Is it not exactly opposite of what the world
says? The natural man ever desires to fulfill his life. It is deeply implanted
in the race. There is nothing wrong with that. However, what people in the
world try to fulfill life almost inevitably is through the visible and tangible
things of the world like material possessions and earning reputations out of
the mundane world. The problem is that though they seem to give much but they
deliver nothing. Drugs, sex, alcohols, expensive cars, dream houses, lofty
societies are some of them. Academia, industries, religions, even evangelical
churches are not excluded. The whole world is driving in a formidable fashion
to total futility. That’s what Jesus says here whoever wants to save his life
by means of the world shall lose it.
On the other hand, Jesus says that whoever loses his life
for His sake will find it. It doesn’t mean that we die physically for His
cause. Rather it means to deny the manner the world conforms to fulfill life. The
world says to get your right now even if others may suffer loss. Jesus says, “Let
him deny himself.” There is the old man in us, who has been born of Adam and
demands endlessly of right. That old man shall be put to death first in order
to live a new life in Jesus Christ. This new life is only available to the
regenerated saints. One prerequisite to this marvelous life in Jesus Christ is
to deny the old self, the cessation of right for His sake. It may take some
time even years to learn and exercise this truth. But that’s only way to find
life.
Jesus did not save Himself bur rather laid down His life for
us. He offered His body as the ransom sacrifice to become a grain of wheat
which fell into the ground and died. Whosoever comes unto Jesus Christ shall
find eternal life because by means of death He rose again from the dead and
able to give a whole new life.
This life is available anytime and anywhere to the regenerated
saints only if he loses his life. No death, no resurrection. No pain, no gain.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires
to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake will find it.’” (Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces
much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his
life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25 NKJV)
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you
should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of
their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the
life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over
to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so
learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him,
as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former
conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be
renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which
was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians
4:17-24 NKJV)
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