Life

 Mark 8:35 ESV

 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 


This verse is counterintuitive. We come to Jesus for eternal life. Yet here he tells us to lose our lives for his sake and the gospel's.

We're not to be all about self preservation. Instead, we're to be all about Christ exaltation. If we come to him for a get out of hell free card, our motives are selfish.

We ought to come to Christ for his own sake. We shouldn't just see him as a means to an end to avoid hell. He calls us to take up our crosses and follow him, to be prepared to die for him.

Dying for Jesus isn't just about being martyred. It's about denying ourselves the indulgement of the flesh. We're to die every day by saying no to our fleshly desires.

'Dear Lord, we are not worthy of you, but ask that you would empower us to deny ourselves for your sake and for your Gospel. For your honour we pray, amen'.


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