This weekend we have had the honor to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior; Jesus Christ. However, what does this mean for us today? For those who went to church this weekend, you may have heard a sermon that spoke about how Friday does not last forever. While this it is true that the Friday will eventually make way for Sunday, I want us to look at something else.
This season has caused me to reflect a lot on my life. Ultimately the reason for the death and resurrection of Jesus is to bring us into a greater intimacy of the Father and His love for us. I had to accept this truth that in this season, God is calling us to die. I am not talking about physical death but I am speaking of dying to our flesh in this season. I want us to know that Christ death brought us life but our death to flesh brings us life eternal. There is a life that comes after death. Life came after Jesus died on the cross and in the same way, we receive life eternal every time we choose to die to our sinful flesh and crucify our carnal nature.
I want to explain this concept of life eternal a little more to avoid confusion. John 17:3 says “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Life eternal is bigger than just going to heaven or hell after we die physically. Life eternal is knowing the Father and enjoying intimacy with the Son. Life Eternal means to know God and our knowledge of God is proportional to our pursuit of Him. Pursuing God requires throwing off every weight that will be an hindrance to us and dying to self. Our flesh often stands as a hindrance to life eternal. It prevents us from growing with God but I want to encourage you to choose life eternal. We choose life eternal by choosing to die. Our Christian walk is so much more than a Sunday routine, it is more than just reading a verse of scripture everyday, it is more than saying a simply prayer. Our Christian walk is an exciting journey where we get to partner with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings this kind of life but it only comes when we made the decision to die daily.
We are not meant to obey our flesh instructions. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says
“No, I discipline my body and make it my slave…” Our flesh is supposed to submit to our spirit. Your flesh is a slave to your spirit and your will. This season, I simply want to encourage you to choose life and to enjoy life abundantly. This type of death is a choice. Jesus made a choice to die so that He can give us life. His love for us compelled Him to choose this death and in the same way, our love for Him should compel us to die to our flesh. We should desire to know God more than anything else our flesh may present. Make a decision to die so that you may live. The truth is that we make the death of Christ to be in vain for our personal lives when we do not choose to die. Choose the life giving death today!