6 Feb 2015
Matthew 10:39
Matthew 10:39: “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
This is a continuation of the same theme. Following Jesus will cost you your life, one way or another. It may be that people will kill you for being a believer. Even if that doesn’t happen, you will still have to die to yourself to become saved – to repent of your sins, to make the Lord your master, and to serve Him instead of yourself. There is no way to be saved that does not include death – a sacrificing of who we are, of what we want out of life, and of the things we care about. All of it has to go, and Jesus must replace it all.
Those who make this choice, and die so that they might have Jesus, will inherit everlasting life. However, those who refuse this choice and decide to keep their lives rather than yielding it to Christ, will perish. So, then, you can keep your life, but if you do so you will die and suffer the wrath of God. Or you can yield your life, and you will find mercy and the grace of God. It is one or the other – there is no neutral ground, no third option.