No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13 HCSB

The Bible tells us the greatest love we can have is to lay down our life for our friends. Can you think of a friend you would literally give your life for? What about a family member? What about your parents, your siblings and/or your children? Would you lay down your life for them? Before you answer, I want you to really think about this.

There are those that immediately say, “Yes, I would lay down my life for my child, my siblings, my spouse, my parents but would you really?” Would you take a bullet to save one of these people in your life?

Now, I want you to read that Scripture passage again, Jesus is telling them that there is no greater love than for someone who is willing to lay down their life for their friends. Now we can remove friends and fill in the blank with any of those that we spoke of above. I want you to really think about that Scripture and I want us to keep it in proper context. It’s easy to read that Scripture and think that Jesus means being willing to die for someone else. That’s what He did for you and me. But he’s talking about laying down your life for someone else. Laying down our life could also simply mean denying ourselves. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 16:24 that anyone who wanted to follow Him must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Jesus.

My friend, you may be the only Bible your family or your friends ever read. Are you willing to deny yourself and follow Jesus so that they might be saved? Are you willing to give up some of the things you love to get your family to church? Are you willing to spend time in prayer and Bible study with your children so that their lives may be saved from eternal damnation? Are you willing to put away your old sinful self to become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) so that you may set a good example for those around you?

Now when we were talking about dying for someone you love there were those of you that said, “Heck yeah, I’d die for that person, I love that person.”  But when we talk about letting go of sinful behavior and inconveniencing yourself with things like daily prayer and Bible study and church attendance, I bet the numbers shrunk.

So, I am going to ask you again? Is there anyone in your life that you are willing to lay your life down for even if it doesn’t mean dying for them? Some of you think it would kill you to let go of sinful behavior. How do I know this? Because there was a time when I thought that. There was a time when I used excuses like, “It doesn’t matter what I do, they won’t get in church or get saved or whatever it is I had hoped my loved ones would do.” But this was because I wasn’t living the life that I should have been living. I was letting my sin control me instead of asking God to help me control my sin.

I applaud those of you that have already laid down your life for your friends and family. You have let go of your sin and you are walking in faith with your Lord and Savior. You are imitating Jesus Christ as best you can (Ephesians 5:1).

But if you are holding on to your sin like the rich young ruler in the parable (Mark 10:17-31) held onto his wealth, you may want to rethink this. That sin is going to cause you to bog down and go under. It will destroy you. But if you let go of it not only will you be saved, but those you love may see what you have. They may come to want what you have and they too may be saved. How awesome would that be?

Are you willing to lay down your life for those you love? Aren’t you glad that Jesus was willing to leave His heavenly home to come to earth to suffer rejection, humiliation and torture? Aren’t you glad that He was willing to endure all that and not sin? But, aren’t you really glad that He was willing to die on the cross for your sin and mine? Jesus modelled that kind of love for us. Are you willing to model that kind of love for those in your life?

Have a great day!