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Light, Life And Living Sacrifice

Sacrificing my life, customs, culture, beliefs, etcetera for the cause of Christ is the bare minimum of what God expects of any one claiming to be a disciple of Jesus.

I am not fond of this passage (due to the dying like a corn of wheat reference) but Jesus Christ does not provide any alternative when it comes to following him.

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. (John 12:23–26)

Dying to myself is just another step (a rather big one in my honest opinion!) on the road towards following Christ — which results in being honored by the Almighty.

Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. (John 12:44–50)

To see & experience Christ is to see and experience God the Father (after all they both have the same character).

Interestingly Christ also states that to abide in him is to accept God’s light — & to accept God’s light is to reject darkness (as God hates sin and desires to save us from its depraving power).

To reject God’s words is to reject his offer of light and life, the former which he will use as judgement when we appear at his throne. (Gulp!)

While God is full of love & grace, his ultimate goal for my life is that I would walk with him in holiness, rejecting any thought, habit or life style that results in me tasting darkness instead of abiding joyfully in the light.