Words to Live By…and Die By…and Live Again By

 

Most of us are familiar with the phrase, “words to live by”.   These are phrases which are universally accepted as wise such as “Dallas Cowboys are America’s team” and “ Don’t eat liver”…stuff like that. In Matthew 16 Jesus gives us some words to live by..and to die by..and then to live again by. Here are those words: 24 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. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. The follower of Jesus is called by Jesus to a willingness to lay down his/her life for Jesus. Since through Jesus Christ we have been redeemed and have been “bought with a price” this is not an unreasonable request. Our life is literally, “not our own” any more. But in that willingness to lay down one’s life, whether or not it is literally taken, we actually find the way to truly live. When we lose our life for the sake of Jesus we actually find our own life. We actually experience life the way that life was intended to be lived; in communion with Jesus.

Each day of our lives is a portion of our lives that is spent. You literally can’t save time. So how are you spending it? If you spend it following Jesus then you will actually find your own life and live it the way God intends. You literally die to your self and live to Jesus. Paul says it so well in Galatians 2:20: 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”   Paul understood these words of Jesus…my prayer is that you do as well. They are truly words to live by…and die by…and live again!

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