Jesus does not ask us to die for Him, but to lay down our life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU.” (John 13:37)
For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would not be good— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our willingness to live for and serve Jesus. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for me?” (John 13:38)
It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but WE MUST WALK IN THE LIGHT OF THEM IN OUR EVERYDAY WAYS. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM, and HIS CLOTHES BECAME RADIANT, INTENSELY WHITE, AS NO ONE ON EARTH COULD BLEACH THEM.” (Mark 9:2-3). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16).
It is contrary to our human nature to do so!
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation IS EASY FOR US, BUT IT COST GOD SO MUCH. The demonstration of salvation in our life is difficult. God saves us, fills us with His Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “I no longer call you servants…Instead, I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
- LET US REMAIN FAITHFUL TO OUR FRIEND, AND REMEMBER:
- HIS HONOR IS AT STAKE IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
Just lay it down…Bill Stockham