We are to lose our life to save it. We are to lose the “life” that was handed down by traditions by the church fathers which do not redeem us in order to truly save it.
Take a look at the lives of people in the churches who seek to cling onto the doctrines and commandments of men. Many are sick and dying as they suffer in the flesh all of the same maladies of the outside “sinners” of the world. The end of their religious things is always DEATH of the body as MANY are led astray into their destruction. We have many church graves of "faithful" church goers to prove this.
Luke 9:22-27 KJV
(23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
(24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
(25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Saul/Paul was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his religious fathers. But by the grace of God, he was called out of his mother’s womb so that His Son can be revealed in him so that he might preach among the nations.
We also are called out of our fathers’ religions (we are to come out of Babylon) so that His Son might be revealed in us so that we might also preach among the nations. Christ in us shall be revealed in our mortal flesh so that we may show forth what it truly means to be “saved”. Death is rendered idle in the here and now. “Immortality”…nondecaying of our mortal bodies… is brought to Light by the good news.
We, who “put on” Christ, shall have His life outwardly revealed as we are transformed in the here and now into His image. This is a powerful tool for preaching unto the whole world by showing the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh. But those who do not truly do what He says is like a man who sees his image in the mirror and goes off and forgets what he looks like....for sin breaks down and takes down the mortal body to the grave.
Galatians 1:13-16 KJV
(13) For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
(14) And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
(15) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
(16) To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Many of us are currently zealous for our fathers’ religions. Some are blameless in them. But their religions do not “save” us for many are sick and dying and have died. Many are perishing in them for they do not come together for the better. If God does not build it, they labor in them in vain. They are perishing and no not that this is the judgment of God upon them. This is the wrath of God being revealed and abiding upon us.
But we are called out by His grace ….and so we are to lose our religious “lives” so that we may win Christ. We are to count all of those religious things as a “loss” for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus whose words of life and spirit trump all of religious-sounding men’s teachings. LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR.
Paul “lost” his religious life in order to gain Christ….THE LIFE of His. We are to lose our “lives” to save them.
Philippians 3:5-8 KJV
(5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
(6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Interestingly, the word "dung" here is a pretty strong word in the Greek.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Paul’s gospel is one of GRACE….for he had once persecuted the church. Many persecute the church because of the things they teach through covetousness and lead many astray into divisions, envying and strife.
Many are not fed the Truth about His salvation in the here and now. Instead, it has become “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” as they labor in the fire toward the destruction of the flesh. Their spirits are saved but they suffer loss. His people are perishing just like the rest of the world. They are still under His wrath and do not understand the judgment of God upon them.
Psalms 90:1-17 KJV
(1) A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
(2) Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
He turns men to destruction and says to RETURN.
(3) Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
(4) For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
The flesh of men are like the grass which grows up in the morning of their lives. Men are "asleep" to know what the judgment of God is upon them: the decay and breaking down of their mortal bodies.
(5) Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning the flesh of men flourishes and grows up….but in the evening it is cut down and withers.
(6) In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
The wrath of God is already upon us. Our flesh is consumed by His anger and we are troubled. Our iniquities show up in our mortal bodies in the evening of our lives….our sins are made manifest. Because judgment does not immediately show up in our mortal flesh, the hearts of men become fully set to do the evil in them. (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
(7) For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
(8) Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
All of our days are passed away in His wrath…..
(9) For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
Our years may be 70 and if by reason of strength they may be 80.
But those later years of our lives are not one of youthful strength. They are of labor and sorrow as we deal with health issue after health issue. These things are the manifest wrath of God upon us. We are soon cut off from this earth and we fly away as our spirits go back to God who gave it.
(10) The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
We must discern the wrath of God upon us and see our sins and return to Him before the evil days of our bodies breaking down back to the dust come upon us. Let us know the power of His anger. Let us recognize it as His wrath.
(11) Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
(12) So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(13) Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
By His MERCY…His GRACE…are we saved in BODY, soul and spirit so that may rejoice and be glad ALL of our days in this earth. We shall not “break down” in the mortal body at no point if we put on Christ as if sinking into a garment….a shining garment that will display His power and glory to the rest of this world.
As an example of not decaying in body ("immortality), Moses died at 120 and his eyes were not dim nor was his natural force abated. (Deuteronomy 34:7).
(14) O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
(15) Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
His work shall appear unto us as we are to be REGENERATED in our mortal bodies in the here and now so that His glory may shine and be displayed to this dark, outside world. We shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the Father because we shall do His commandments…for this is the WHOLE of man in body, soul and spirit.
We are fully saved…preserved…in the here and now where we are to display His glory and power. It will be the power of God being displayed in this earthly vessel so that it can only be His power that keeps us here. No amount of fleshly effort can keep us alive in the here and now except the supernatural power of God if we do His commandments and be saved. This is the WHOLE of man: to fear God and keep His commandments.
(16) Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
The beauty of the LORD our God shall be upon us so that we may do His works in the age to come. We shall show forth the Word of life to others for we shall not perish in the here and now but have an age-lasting life….a LONG life…without the aches of pains of “aging”…which is the wrath of God upon us.
(17) And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
He comes looking for “fruit” from us…fruit of the Spirit. If we are led by the Spirit, that Spirit shall give our mortal bodies His life.
Luke 13:6-9 KJV
(6) He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
(7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
If we continue to live after the flesh rather than producing the fruit of the Spirit, we shall be “cut down” from the earth. The wages of sin is death. But our Lord is patient not wanting any one to perish. He puts “dung” in our lives so that we might return to Him. He turns men to destruction of the flesh so that they may return.
(8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
(9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
But who will believe the report? Who really is listening to the message of salvation today?
2 Timothy 4:2-4 KJV
(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Take a look at the lives of people in the churches who seek to cling onto the doctrines and commandments of men. Many are sick and dying as they suffer in the flesh all of the same maladies of the outside “sinners” of the world. The end of their religious things is always DEATH of the body as MANY are led astray into their destruction. We have many church graves of "faithful" church goers to prove this.
Luke 9:22-27 KJV
(23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
(24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
(25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Saul/Paul was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his religious fathers. But by the grace of God, he was called out of his mother’s womb so that His Son can be revealed in him so that he might preach among the nations.
We also are called out of our fathers’ religions (we are to come out of Babylon) so that His Son might be revealed in us so that we might also preach among the nations. Christ in us shall be revealed in our mortal flesh so that we may show forth what it truly means to be “saved”. Death is rendered idle in the here and now. “Immortality”…nondecaying of our mortal bodies… is brought to Light by the good news.
We, who “put on” Christ, shall have His life outwardly revealed as we are transformed in the here and now into His image. This is a powerful tool for preaching unto the whole world by showing the life of Jesus in our mortal flesh. But those who do not truly do what He says is like a man who sees his image in the mirror and goes off and forgets what he looks like....for sin breaks down and takes down the mortal body to the grave.
Galatians 1:13-16 KJV
(13) For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
(14) And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
(15) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
(16) To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
Many of us are currently zealous for our fathers’ religions. Some are blameless in them. But their religions do not “save” us for many are sick and dying and have died. Many are perishing in them for they do not come together for the better. If God does not build it, they labor in them in vain. They are perishing and no not that this is the judgment of God upon them. This is the wrath of God being revealed and abiding upon us.
But we are called out by His grace ….and so we are to lose our religious “lives” so that we may win Christ. We are to count all of those religious things as a “loss” for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus whose words of life and spirit trump all of religious-sounding men’s teachings. LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR.
Paul “lost” his religious life in order to gain Christ….THE LIFE of His. We are to lose our “lives” to save them.
Philippians 3:5-8 KJV
(5) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
(6) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Interestingly, the word "dung" here is a pretty strong word in the Greek.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Paul’s gospel is one of GRACE….for he had once persecuted the church. Many persecute the church because of the things they teach through covetousness and lead many astray into divisions, envying and strife.
Many are not fed the Truth about His salvation in the here and now. Instead, it has become “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die” as they labor in the fire toward the destruction of the flesh. Their spirits are saved but they suffer loss. His people are perishing just like the rest of the world. They are still under His wrath and do not understand the judgment of God upon them.
Psalms 90:1-17 KJV
(1) A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
(2) Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
He turns men to destruction and says to RETURN.
(3) Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
(4) For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
The flesh of men are like the grass which grows up in the morning of their lives. Men are "asleep" to know what the judgment of God is upon them: the decay and breaking down of their mortal bodies.
(5) Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning the flesh of men flourishes and grows up….but in the evening it is cut down and withers.
(6) In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
The wrath of God is already upon us. Our flesh is consumed by His anger and we are troubled. Our iniquities show up in our mortal bodies in the evening of our lives….our sins are made manifest. Because judgment does not immediately show up in our mortal flesh, the hearts of men become fully set to do the evil in them. (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
(7) For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
(8) Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
All of our days are passed away in His wrath…..
(9) For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
Our years may be 70 and if by reason of strength they may be 80.
But those later years of our lives are not one of youthful strength. They are of labor and sorrow as we deal with health issue after health issue. These things are the manifest wrath of God upon us. We are soon cut off from this earth and we fly away as our spirits go back to God who gave it.
(10) The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
We must discern the wrath of God upon us and see our sins and return to Him before the evil days of our bodies breaking down back to the dust come upon us. Let us know the power of His anger. Let us recognize it as His wrath.
(11) Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
(12) So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(13) Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
By His MERCY…His GRACE…are we saved in BODY, soul and spirit so that may rejoice and be glad ALL of our days in this earth. We shall not “break down” in the mortal body at no point if we put on Christ as if sinking into a garment….a shining garment that will display His power and glory to the rest of this world.
As an example of not decaying in body ("immortality), Moses died at 120 and his eyes were not dim nor was his natural force abated. (Deuteronomy 34:7).
(14) O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
(15) Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
His work shall appear unto us as we are to be REGENERATED in our mortal bodies in the here and now so that His glory may shine and be displayed to this dark, outside world. We shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the Father because we shall do His commandments…for this is the WHOLE of man in body, soul and spirit.
We are fully saved…preserved…in the here and now where we are to display His glory and power. It will be the power of God being displayed in this earthly vessel so that it can only be His power that keeps us here. No amount of fleshly effort can keep us alive in the here and now except the supernatural power of God if we do His commandments and be saved. This is the WHOLE of man: to fear God and keep His commandments.
(16) Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
The beauty of the LORD our God shall be upon us so that we may do His works in the age to come. We shall show forth the Word of life to others for we shall not perish in the here and now but have an age-lasting life….a LONG life…without the aches of pains of “aging”…which is the wrath of God upon us.
(17) And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
He comes looking for “fruit” from us…fruit of the Spirit. If we are led by the Spirit, that Spirit shall give our mortal bodies His life.
Luke 13:6-9 KJV
(6) He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
(7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
If we continue to live after the flesh rather than producing the fruit of the Spirit, we shall be “cut down” from the earth. The wages of sin is death. But our Lord is patient not wanting any one to perish. He puts “dung” in our lives so that we might return to Him. He turns men to destruction of the flesh so that they may return.
(8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
(9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
But who will believe the report? Who really is listening to the message of salvation today?
2 Timothy 4:2-4 KJV
(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.