Losing the Self Life

Matthew 14-16

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of man.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’”

Matthew 16:23-25

Like Peter, we, too, can confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but still have in mind the ‘things of men’, becoming a tool of the enemy to distract or impede the mission of God. It’s not enough to pray a prayer confessing our sins and Jesus as our Savior. Many people will stand before God at the judgment day confessing, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name?’ and hear the Lord reply that he didn’t know them. Jesus knew Peter, and he knew that Peter had left his fishing business to follow him. He reminded Peter that the same death-to-self which started his journey with Jesus was the key to experiencing the life that is truly life. The cross is not just for conversion, it is the daily choice of a disciple of Jesus who lives for the mission of Jesus and not themselves.

Are we just converts, or are we daily disciples of Jesus who live on mission?

“Lord Jesus, I lay down my life for your kingdom and your will today, for your glory.”