“…and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2Co5.15 NKJV
We ordinarily think of life coming before death; that people live, then die. But Christ asks us to see life in reverse. He has explained that life comes after death. He died so that we might live. We too undergo the death of living only for ourselves so that we might live for Him. His death and resurrection make ours possible. As He died and rose again, we die to self and rise to live anew. Our final death and resurrection is preceded by this daily death and daily resurrection. Our daily death and resurrection is preceded by our initial repentance (death) and faith (life) when we come to Christ. Those first steps are repeated over and over again until our last breath here is met with our first breath in glory.
I think that it is vital to keep death and resurrection together. Some get stuck on the dying part and fail to live, really live for the Kingdom of God. Like a seed that falls into the ground but never comes up, is one who is all the time dying to the world but not living for God. Die we must, but saying no to lust is not saying yes to love. Our enemy is delighted if we deny self for the sake of shoring up our self pride. Christ is not calling us to die for death’s sake, to glorify suffering and pain. These things only have meaning when we rise again in the newness of life. Only under the warmth of grace can our acts of dying to lust germinate into living for love. 4/5/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
