Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.
What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?”     Matthew 16:24-26 HCSB

Yesterday, we talked about the Christian Paradox of the more we give, the more we receive. This is another paradox in the life of a Christian. To save our lives, we must lose them.

We know that a paradox is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that, when investigated or explained, may prove to be well-founded or true. Another paradox of the Christian life is that we must lose our life to save it. Jesus is telling His disciples in verse 24 that whoever wants to come with Him must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. When we surrender to Christ, it’s no longer our will and what we want, but we align our will with His will. We want His will to be done. This is why Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Jesus came to earth to do God’s will. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for God to remove the cup from Him. He certainly did not want to suffer the pain of crucifixion, but He prayed in Luke 22:42, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me-nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Jesus came to do God’s will. We are to do the same.

How we live our lives here on earth will determine our final destination. The choices we make in this life will determine where we go from here. God gives us free will. Jesus clearly tells us that we must surrender our lives to Him to save our souls. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through Me.”

Our lives here on earth are temporary. Here today and gone tomorrow. James 4:14 describes us as smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. The time we spend here on earth is minuscule compared to eternity. We must decide if we will surrender our lives to Christ in order to spend eternity in heaven with God the Father. Or, will we try to gain the world?

Jesus said in verse 26, “What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life?” We must decide here and now if we are willing to trade eternity for a brief time in the world. Are the things of this world, meaning our sinful desires, worth forfeiting eternity?

The time to choose is now. Life on Earth is simply a journey. We must choose where our journey will end. It will either end in heaven or in hell. Those are our only two choices. When we take a trip, we plan for the trip. We make reservations, gather the things we will need, and pack the appropriate clothing for the climate. Are you preparing for your journey?

If we try to preserve the life of sin we have, we will lose our lives to the devil. But if we surrender and give our lives to Christ, we will be saved and spend eternity in heaven. I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but for many years, I was packed up and headed to hell. I thank God for saving me and putting me on the right path. It’s well worth giving your life so that He can save it for you. It may sound absurd, but it’s true. And again, I tell you, don’t take my word for it, see for yourself.

Have a great day!