December 1 Eternal Life

Luke 9:23-25 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”
 
THINK for a few moments on “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” This is a frightful picture. This is to purposefully give up eternity, so you can have the temporary. It’s as if someone comes to you and says, “Give me your life, and I’ll give you the one thing you most desire.” You would refuse such a ludicrous offer, wouldn’t you? What point would it be to gain that one desire if you must lose your life for it?
   But is this not what the world “sells” us each day? That was the devil’s temptation to Adam and Eve, wasn’t it? Regardless of where I’ve traveled to meet people throughout the world – including the man in the mirror – there is a compelling desire within us to forfeit our eternal wealth for the temporary “riches” the world promises.
   Oh, I know we don’t die physically to get the material possessions we want. But we are prone to easily lose the life of peace, joy, love and purpose that is ours in a disciplined life with Christ. Our sin nature causes our minds to naturally seek the temporary rewards at all costs. We barely have a thought that such a view could cost us our eternal life.
   That’s why Jesus’ needed to shock his disciples here. Think of their response to, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  The cross, Jesus – take it up? Good grief, the cross was the cruelest of executions for Rome’s worst criminals. Crucifixions were sometimes done En masse with hundreds, even thousands, of men executed at one time. To take up a cross was to pick up your own deeply humiliating and agonizing death. Certainly the disciples who had just confessed to Jesus, “You are the Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20) were now wondering, “What will happen to us now?”  
   The answer they would learn and we must know is this: Focus on your eternal life. When the world says, “Go, pursue all you can. Hold nothing back. You can accomplish anything you want.” You say, “No, I’ll pursue my Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. I’ll completely die to my earthly desires. I will set my mind to live into Jesus’ purpose for my life.”
   This is not to say material possessions are bad or condemning. But this is to say, “Your Lord’s call on your life is the highest purpose in your life. You will need to die to your own desires. You must be prepared to sacrifice everything – even your life – for the Lord’s cause because you eternal reward is sure. Keep your eyes on eternity. Die to the earthly things that keep you from Jesus. Live for his eternal purposes.
 
Prayer: Lord God, help me to know in my heart, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). Amen.