THE BELIEVER LOSES YO GAIN.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*THE BELIEVER LOSES TO GAIN.*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Matt 16: 23-25

*But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.*

*Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.*

*For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Trying to secure or gain your own life (selfishness) leads to losing it, while releasing it for Christ’s sake leads to saving it.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Matt 26:25, records the same line as is recorded by Mark and Luke in Mark 8:35, Luke 17:33 respectively.

Clinging selfishly to earthly life, safety, or selfish desires will lead to losing our souls to eternal hell.

Many are driven with the passion for their earthly security than their eternal security.

While securing our's and children's earthly future and security, securing our eternity through daily living and fear of God is considered a priority for any Christian and believer of Christ.

A man can live a long life yet be considered a waste of life, if his life was spent without Christ.

Jesus' statement about those who try to save their lives but end up losing it summarizes the fleeting nature of life and the dangers of living without spiritual awareness. 

Little wonder why the death of man is described as "perishing like a beast" because of the lack of the spiritual understanding of our present state and what would become of us after we die.

The psalmist says *"Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish.* Ps 49:12.

*Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish.* Ps 49:20

We tend to be protective over our lives, belongings etc to the detriment of Christ's Kingdom. While Christ teaches that we take care of our families and future of our children ( Prov 13:22, 1 Tim 5:8), those who selfishly cling to their earthly life, safety, or selfish desires will lose their eternal soul.

The ultimate translation is that no one can secure his/her life outside Christ.

No matter what we have, possess or how much wealth we have in this world, it can not fully satisfy us.

Solomon says in Eccl 1:8 *All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.*

We will lose all we hope to keep because

*For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.*

(1 Tim 6:7).

However we hope to gain what we can not lose when we release it for Christ’s sake leads to saving it.

There are people who, when they die, will be considered by heaven to have wasted their lives rather than lost it to physical death which is common to all man.

This is because they made their life secure without any iota or proof of Christ's gospel or the spiritual preservation of His Kingdom here on earth.

Yet there will be people who, when they die, will be considered by heaven that though, they lost their lives to physical death which is common to all man,

have saved and gained it because they totally surrendered to Jesus rather than just a superficial faith.

It is better we lose our lives to physical death, which is common to all children of men, than to waste it because we did not live in Christ.

It is better we lose our lives to physical death, which is common to all children of men, and gain it back to live eternally with Christ.

The people of the world hope to gain (that is; hope to save their lives) but shall lose it.

The Christian who would or is prepared to lose (that is: for Christ's sake) *"....shall find it. In other words, he shall gain it.

The believer loses to gain.

The unbeliever gains to lose.

*Remorse corner.*

Sacrificing one's life, selfish plans, and control for the sake of the Gospel leads to spiritual preservation. 

*Call to Word action.*

What we live for now and how we would be judged after we have lost our lives to physical death will determine if we lived never to die again in heaven or we have wasted our lives to live in hell eternally.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Those who lived without Christ have not only lost their lives but wasted their lives.

Those who lived in Christ may have lost their lives but will live to gain it again.

*Prayer.*

Lord in as much as you help me to take care of my family, help me also to live sacrificially to please Christ that l might gain heaven, in Jesus name.

Good morning all and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.