One of the most fundamental and critical concepts in Scripture and the Christian faith is rarely mentioned in American churches today. I’ve never heard a sermon on the topic in a worship service. Of the thousands of “Plans” in the Bible.com (YouVersion) app, seemingly covering an exhaustive array of subjects, not a single one addresses it. Admittedly, it’s an even more challenging tenet to grasp and implement than other terms also not often heard on Sunday mornings – like repentance, surrender, and accountability. It’s neglected, ignored or forgotten by contemporary Christian media, small group studies, and ministries. However, Christ-followers in nations overseas where persecution is prevalent have no choice but to abide by the principle because their faith could cost them their lives. Here’s a partial list of citations showing how God’s Word hammers this concept home repeatedly…
- “crucified with Christ” (Galations 2:20)
- “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galations 2:20)
- “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed” (John 12:24)
- “if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24)
- “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves” (Luke 9:23)
- “take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)
- “whoever wants to save their life will lose it” (Mark 8:35)
- “whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24)
- “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)
- “I die every day” (1 Corinthians 15:31)
- “you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)
- “that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24)
- “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galations 5:24)
- “one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14)
- “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life” (Ephesians 4:22)
- “becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10)
- “we are those who have died to sin” (Romans 6:2)
- “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:3)
- “we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death” (Romans 6:4)
- “we have been united with him in a death like his” (Romans 6:5)
- “our old self was crucified with him” (Romans 6:6)
- “anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:7)
- “if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8)
- “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God” (Romans 6:11)
When this many verses (to name a few) speak so dogmatically and emphatically about dying to self, we should seek to understand that core biblical principle and take it seriously. Many of us have heard these verses, but haven’t delved into their underlying meaning or implications because church leaders consider dying to self too countercultural for the discriminating, consumeristic palates of American Christians.
What Does It Mean to Me?
For years, I’ve wrestled with how to “die to self”, aware of its importance but unable to eradicate survival instincts necessitated by my upbringing. It seems counterintuitive to talk about myself to explain dying to self, but it’s in a spirit of confession, not conceit. Getting personal for a moment is about elevating others, not my dying self.
MY STORY – Self-preservation from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) made it difficult to focus on the welfare of those around me. Insecurity led to a life of overachievement until disillusionment with “success” slowly crept in as I thought about children growing up like I did. I began praying for a path toward a higher purpose and greater impact. During my “road to Damascus” (in this case, Atlanta) drive home in 1998, the Lord answered. Not coincidentally, my consulting experience was perfectly suited to address a growing crisis – internally-focused churches no longer meeting the felt needs of families in their communities. What began as a side project soon became a flourishing ministry. Despite that apparent death to self, my quest to be loved remained largely intact.
MY STRUGGLES – Maybe I’ll never arrive this side of Heaven, but Scripture doesn’t call for less than a lifelong concerted pursuit of sanctification. Jesus’ foremost commandment is to love unconditionally, which is impossible while any vestige of self survives. C.S. Lewis wrote, “humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” I can’t love God or my “neighbors” well if self-awareness competes for my attention. Personal agendas, desires, and concerns will always crowd out perfect love. Yet I struggle to fully engage, dying to self in every situation and interaction. My life verse is Acts 20:24 but people’s opinions and perceptions can still steal my joy.
MY STATUS – Old habits die hard. Internalizing my identity as a child of a loving heavenly Father is probably easier for those with earthly examples. Thank the Lord for not making me too at home in the body (self), helping me abide in Christ while in this terrestrial abode. Jesus’ body was broken for you and me so we don’t have to experience eternal death. However, His sacrifice and resurrection warrant the death of our sinful selves and rebirth to new life. As we die to the cares of this world we develop a more eager expectation of eternity. Contrary to the phrase, “so heavenly minded, no earthly good”, those who die to self are free to work in the best (eternal) interests of others and the Kingdom, not their own (temporal) interests.
What Does It Mean for You?
A proverbial soldier in the foxhole overcomes fears by presuming he’s already dead. Clinging to this life keeps many Christ-followers from emerging from comfort and convenience to engage courageously in America’s post-Christian culture. The missionary Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Addiction recovery counselors, like soldiers and missionaries, also understand the power of dying to self. Trying to fix ourselves through sheer force of will only digs the hole deeper. The answer lies in relinquishing control and trusting God to win their battles – in other words, dying to self.
YOUR WILL – Surrender is the antithesis of Selfism, America’s fastest growing “religion”. You can’t become a new creation until the old one dies. Crucified with Christ is a transformation where self-interest abates and the Holy Spirit fills the vacant space. Laying down your life means giving up your need for power, prominence, promotion, or prestige – or being “right”. Dying to self also directly contradicts Selfism’s desire to control outcomes, entrusting those to the Lord. If any of those concerns about self matter to you, can you fully submit and commit to God’s will? He wants unity, evangelism, discipleship, and compassion yet each of those involve significant sacrifice and risk in a world increasingly opposed to biblical values.
YOUR WALK – Jesus was first and foremost a servant. Following in His footsteps requires humility. Humility may involve humiliation, but not if there’s no self left to humiliate. True servanthood doesn’t love itself more than it loves others. How do you love yourself? Are you as worried about friends’ and neighbors’ health, children, assets, and jobs as your own? When disaster strikes them, are you as concerned and prayerful as when it happens to you? In that context, few Christians attempt to fully live out the Great Commandment. How many reach a level of empathy that genuinely mourns when others mourn and rejoices when they rejoice? Social media and advertising in America are built on comparisons and envy for a reason. Paul was stressed, but about the churches he planted and Christians he discipled, not himself.
YOUR WITNESS – Non-believers recognize Jesus in you when they see His love flowing through you. They assume that if you’re willing to help, you may be a source of hope as well. Your actions (Care) followed by your words (Share), while understanding that only God alone can save (Prayer), opens eyes to see and ears to hear. However, consider the price Jesus paid for His love. It should cost you dearly too, because you can’t convey it without dying to self. He paid the ultimate price so you must be prepared to die – to your selfish desires and worldly expectations. As you look forward to what’s ahead you’ll gain courage for today and expose the futility of Selfism, awakening those who haven’t died (to self), still living in fear of the future.
It’s Your Turn…
Before reading this article, did you realize how prevalent and critical dying to self is in the practice of the Christian faith? If so, have you considered what it would entail for you? In the next blog post, we’ll look at how churches not dying to self is why pastors don’t talk about it – and why so few Christians understand and live it out.
The post Christianity’s Best Kept Secret appeared first on Meet The Need Blog.
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