Whosoever will lose his life for My sake

Matthew 16:25

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Here we have the paragon of biblical statements that flies in the face of what the natural man thinks. For it is in opposition to and in great disagreement with how most will think. Most will read such a statement as this and their heads will begin spinning and their minds will go numb. They have no understanding of it, no affinity to it, and no desire for it. To lose one’s life is to find it! Take up the cross, and follow Him! Whosoever will save his life shall lose it! This is terrifying to most! It makes no sense to them, and defies their reason. Nonetheless, this is the statement of all statements. If you understand this statement and principle, you have the Spirit and can know the things of God. If you don’t understand this principle, it is because you have not learned the things of God. Peter had just “rebuked” our Lord, because he disagreed with Christ’s statement that He would suffer of the Jews, be killed, and be raised the third day. And Christ’s response to him? “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (verse 23).

You see, after all, there are only two veins of thought—only two ways in the world which men may take. They are “the things that be of God,” and “the things that be of men.” The vast majority of the billions of this world will tragically live by “the things that be of men” with no regard for the other. But there is the right way. There is the narrow way. There is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And that is the way of the things that be of God. You see, this is the best way; this is the right way. It is the way of Christ! To take up the cross and follow Him! To deny oneself for the sake of the Gospel. To lay down your life’s ambitions! To give up, to surrender, to yield all unreservedly to the Son of God. The way of life is the way that Jesus refers to here. For He says, “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Have you found this way? Have you lost your life for Christ’s sake? I do not mean to ask if you have become a martyr or if you have been severely persecuted for Christ. I simply mean to ask, Have you found the way to life—the way of self-denial and surrender? Have you found the way that loses all its desires and dreams in the Lord? Have you found the way that looks ludicrous and ridiculous and outlandish to this world? Have you found the way that most never understand? You see, none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall underhand. Those that truly know the Lord may understand that the most blessed and rewarded life—the one that leads to life everlasting and joy unspeakable—is the life that is lost in Christ. Lay down your ambitions this day; stop keeping a stranglehold on everything you hold dear. Cast it all at the feet of Christ, take up your cross, and begin following Him. Then, and only then, you shall find, that whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake shall most certainly find it.

“Now Father, we do praise You that we may understand the things that be of God. Take our hearts and minds off all the temporal, worldly, fleshly things that be of men. May we not savor those things. Indeed, may they be an offense unto us. But may we deeply savor the things of the Lord, desiring to live our life only for His sake and the Gospel’s. We know that is the way of life, and there we shall truly find our souls lost in Thee, and filled with Thy grace and glory, useable for Thee. Help us now to take up the cross and follow Thee unto life eternal. May we love Thee first and foremost and only. In the beloved name of Jesus we pray, Amen.”