Introduction. Near death experiences are always compelling. Someone nearly drowns, gets into a serious accident, or slips off a cliff, but then lives to tell about it. They were saved by someone and did not lose their life. The initial fear and anguish turned to joy and relief when their life was spared. It is this very emotion that Jesus sought to use to motivate us to serve Him. Even death itself will become a “near death” experience if we listen to Jesus. Those who desire to save their life at the moment of death will still have a Savior to pull them to safety. As He promised: "if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death" and "whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (Jn. 8:51; 11:26).
- “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37)
Jesus had more to say on this subject. “Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Lk. 17:32-33). If we “seek to save” our life, we must “remember Lot’s wife” who was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back on the life she had left behind. Perhaps with longing and desire, perhaps just a mere glance to see, but regardless of her reasons, Jesus warned us not to follow her example and look back.
The commitment of our confession that Jesus is the Christ requires us to sever all ties with the old life of worldliness and everything that would lead us back to it. Even a mother, father, son, or daughter must be “lost” and “loved less” if they are hindering our devotion to Jesus:
Jesus was willing to lose His life for the will of God and the gospel’s sake. His final prayer made this clear. “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." The cup of which He spoke was His death on the cross - His ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the gospel! He denied himself and lost His life. Was this an easy decision? No, it was not: “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Lk 22:42-44). Jesus had to deny Himself and endure great agony in order to say “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Mt. 26:42). This is the quality of denial He expects. This is how we lose our life for His sake.
When Paul obeyed the gospel, he immediately exemplified this level of devotion. “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:7-9). Like everyone else, Paul had his life planned for his use. But when he obeyed the gospel, everything that the gospel condemned he “lost.” All the goals and plans that hindered his service to Jesus he considered rubbish and discarded. As Paul before us, we too must be willing to sacrifice any and everything necessary for Jesus’ sake and for the gospel’s sake.
In one of His parables Jesus revealed the nature of the loss and the reason why we would always consider them rubbish: “the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 13:44). The strength of His assertion is seen in the phrase “sell all that he has.” Jesus is not speaking literally. Yet the meaning is clear. He is saying exactly the same thing as “lose his life for my sake.” Both express His expectation that our commitment to Him will cost everything that stands in the way.
Thus the true price of our confession that Jesus is Christ and Lord is full repentance - the realization that many things that were gain to us were sins. Other things are frivolous and unworthy of our time. We sell all these things when we repent and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. They must all be sold if we are to buy the treasure in the field. This is how we lose our life for His sake and the gospel’s sake. We sell all that we have, suffer the loss of all things, and lose our life. Thus we put our hand to the plow and never look back. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:60).
It is sad to watch many of those who call Jesus Lord setting aside their commitment to the gospel because they refuse to “lose their lives for His sake and the gospel’s sake.” For some, the gospel is one of many equally important commitments. If worship interferes with another commitment (work, hobby, family), those who would “save their lives” think nothing of forsaking it. Children are taught that a commitment to sports or school activities is more important than a Bible class. For many, any command that causes unhappiness is set it aside, since “God wants me to be happy.” This is why “the desire for other things chokes the word.” If Jesus had held this attitude, we would have no gospel. If Paul had felt like this, he could not have spoken of them as rubbish.
Conclusion. With the time and resources God gave us at birth, we initially choose where we will use them. We make these choices based on things we enjoy or get the most from. “It is my life and I will live it as I please.” So we allocate our time, finances and talents to those things that bring us happiness, further our goals, and bring contentment. But when we hear the gospel, we have found the treasure, and it is time to sell all commitments and sinful actions that we have to buy it. We have to “lose our life, “suffer the loss of all things” and love Jesus more. The more we lose to His word, the more Jesus will love us. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, He who does not love Me does not keep My words; ... If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn. 14:15, 21, 24).
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he got up the next morning and hurried to the mountain to “lose” and “love less” his son. Moses chose to “lose his life” as the son of Pharoah’s daughter to suffer ill treatment with God’s people. Those who “seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33) allocate time, energy and enthusiasm for “His kingdom” and “His righteousness.
The commitment of our confession that Jesus is the Christ requires us to sever all ties with the old life of worldliness and everything that would lead us back to it. Even a mother, father, son, or daughter must be “lost” and “loved less” if they are hindering our devotion to Jesus:
- “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mt. 10:37-39).
Jesus was willing to lose His life for the will of God and the gospel’s sake. His final prayer made this clear. “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." The cup of which He spoke was His death on the cross - His ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the gospel! He denied himself and lost His life. Was this an easy decision? No, it was not: “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Lk 22:42-44). Jesus had to deny Himself and endure great agony in order to say “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Mt. 26:42). This is the quality of denial He expects. This is how we lose our life for His sake.
When Paul obeyed the gospel, he immediately exemplified this level of devotion. “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:7-9). Like everyone else, Paul had his life planned for his use. But when he obeyed the gospel, everything that the gospel condemned he “lost.” All the goals and plans that hindered his service to Jesus he considered rubbish and discarded. As Paul before us, we too must be willing to sacrifice any and everything necessary for Jesus’ sake and for the gospel’s sake.
In one of His parables Jesus revealed the nature of the loss and the reason why we would always consider them rubbish: “the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 13:44). The strength of His assertion is seen in the phrase “sell all that he has.” Jesus is not speaking literally. Yet the meaning is clear. He is saying exactly the same thing as “lose his life for my sake.” Both express His expectation that our commitment to Him will cost everything that stands in the way.
Thus the true price of our confession that Jesus is Christ and Lord is full repentance - the realization that many things that were gain to us were sins. Other things are frivolous and unworthy of our time. We sell all these things when we repent and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. They must all be sold if we are to buy the treasure in the field. This is how we lose our life for His sake and the gospel’s sake. We sell all that we have, suffer the loss of all things, and lose our life. Thus we put our hand to the plow and never look back. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:60).
It is sad to watch many of those who call Jesus Lord setting aside their commitment to the gospel because they refuse to “lose their lives for His sake and the gospel’s sake.” For some, the gospel is one of many equally important commitments. If worship interferes with another commitment (work, hobby, family), those who would “save their lives” think nothing of forsaking it. Children are taught that a commitment to sports or school activities is more important than a Bible class. For many, any command that causes unhappiness is set it aside, since “God wants me to be happy.” This is why “the desire for other things chokes the word.” If Jesus had held this attitude, we would have no gospel. If Paul had felt like this, he could not have spoken of them as rubbish.
Conclusion. With the time and resources God gave us at birth, we initially choose where we will use them. We make these choices based on things we enjoy or get the most from. “It is my life and I will live it as I please.” So we allocate our time, finances and talents to those things that bring us happiness, further our goals, and bring contentment. But when we hear the gospel, we have found the treasure, and it is time to sell all commitments and sinful actions that we have to buy it. We have to “lose our life, “suffer the loss of all things” and love Jesus more. The more we lose to His word, the more Jesus will love us. “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, He who does not love Me does not keep My words; ... If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn. 14:15, 21, 24).
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he got up the next morning and hurried to the mountain to “lose” and “love less” his son. Moses chose to “lose his life” as the son of Pharoah’s daughter to suffer ill treatment with God’s people. Those who “seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33) allocate time, energy and enthusiasm for “His kingdom” and “His righteousness.