A Christian can not live, but by dying. Jesus said that we as Christians, must die first, before we start to live.
In the Gospel of John chapter 12, verse 25, Jesus said that we have to hate our life, in order to get to the eternal life.
That means, that we can not live for two masters, for God and money, because we will love the one, and despise the other. We will be dedicated to the one, and not to the other.
We can not sit on two chairs at the same time, because we will fall between them. We can not sit on the fence for a long time, because we will fall, on the one side or the other.
It also means, that we can not put our hand on the plough, and look back, because we will not be fit, for the Kingdom of God.
To hate our life, so that we will keep it for eternal life means, that we are not supposed to live our life, as we want, but as God wants, and according to what he has said, in his Word.
It does not mean that we should hate living here on earth, because God has given us this life on earth, but it simply means, that he gave us our life on earth, so that we can prepare for heaven, and live for him.
Just like a seed in the ground, we have to die, in order to live and produce fruit for eternity, like in John 12:24.
No death, no life. To die for self is to live with him, for him, and by him, that is God.
Taking our cross daily, can be one of the most difficult thing to do, as a Christian, but if we are not on the cross, we are dead, even if we live.
A seed in the ground not dying, lives for self, because it does not produce other seeds. But a seed dying, lives for others, because it produces many other seeds.
But if we are ‘on the cross’ daily, although we appear to this world like dead, we appear to God, as alive, alive in Christ, and alive for Christ.
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