Continuing on the topic of dying to self we have to understand the principle of the “why” aspect of it. As we have seen that our old man or old fleshly nature has been in control of our souls since birth. For the soul to partake of the new spiritual nature the old nature must die. That is dying to self. There is also another way to look at it. Jesus said:
John 12
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
25 He who loves his soul will lose it, and he who hates his soul in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Jesus makes it clear that we cannot grow and bear fruit if we do not die first. Then He reiterates that if we love our soul in this world we will lose it but if we hate it we will gain it for eternal life. Jesus says we have to follow Him and whoever follows Him and is where He is will be honored by the Father. Let’s just remember the context of this passage, it’s about dying. So we follow Jesus to the cross, get on it, get nailed to it and we don’t get off until we are dead. Paul says in:
1 Cor 15
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1 Cor 15
36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain — perhaps wheat or some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a soulish(natural) body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a soulish(natural) body, and there is a spiritual body.
Paul confirms what Jesus said and makes it even clearer for us. In-fact he calls us foolish if we don’t understand this. Our first state which is a soul that listens to the flesh is sown and dies. Then it is made alive as a spiritual state. Paul also says in:
Ephesians 4
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
That putting off of the old man is nothing else but dying to that old man or soul. And becoming a soul that is led by the Spirit of God. The new man, transformed and called a son of God. Next time we will look even deeper into the aspect of dying to self or transforming of soul. Till then.
God bless.
Recent Comments