Luke 9:24, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Life comes from the living and the living are dying to live. Most people would like to live life to its fullest but settle for just getting by, going with the flow or trapped by prior decisions. Dying to live is making a choice to die the right way.
First, there are those who die the No Way; that is with the music or song still in them. Being content with just getting by and wasting days without number characterizes an unfulfilled life. With no goals or dreams the no way crowd aimlessly pursues each day as just another day. The lack of adventure and the boredom of going through the motions of life is not really living; it is just existing. The no way people are dying but not to live.
Secondly, there are those who are dying the Wrong Way. Spending each day’s portion on self typifies the wrong way crowd. They are to be admired for their zeal at least they are not sitting on a surplus of unused days. Spiritually these folks are living for today and not tomorrow. Mark 8:36-37, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The devil’s plan is to get us to waste our life on ourselves with no thought of eternity. He also, wants us to grow up too fast which causes us to mortgage our future by our youthful mistakes. There are many who are dying to live but they just end up dying. The overwhelming motivations of the wrong way crowd is to eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.
Lastly, there are those dying to live the Right Way. This involves investing our time instead of just spending it or wasting it. It’s about giving our life away making it count for something. It’s letting Christ live through us. Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We are to give up what we can’t keep to gain what we can’t lose. Life comes from death. John 12:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” The apostle Paul said, “I die daily.” John the Baptist said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” In the parable of the sower we find some seed was choked out by cares of this world, some fell into hard places with no lasting growth and some was snatched away by fowls. In all these cases the seed was sown and died with no fruit, which produces new life. Dying right is falling into the good soil. Matthew 13:8, “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”
The life that has chosen to die right is bringing forth new life. One kernel of corn planted in good soil can produce three ears of corn and that is a yield of 300 or more. That is a fair representation of the abundant life offered to us through Christ. The ultimate example is when Christ went to Calvary to die for the sins of the whole world. I Corinthians 15:20-22, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Christ death has brought life everlasting to millions upon millions.
Will you die to self that others might live? Colossians 3:1-3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Dying to live the right way will bring eternal rewards that you will never lose.
Anchor Baptist Church
456 Jamison Road
Washington Court House, OH 43160
