John 12:24-26
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
As a Christian, I profess to want to serve God. But God does not call us to an easy service. In verse 26 Jesus says, "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also". Where Jesus goes is explained in the previous verses, where He explains the need for His death. That death must be experienced by us as well: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (verse 25). What we need to die to is our love of this world and its pleasures, which is not to say that we must be ascetics; rather it means that we must realize it is a poor reflection of the greater good in God, and we must value the latter more than the former. When we get lost in sexual immorality, we are placing its temporary pleasures above God. The antidote is to die to our selfish desires and follow Jesus to the cross.
Lord, help me to follow you to the cross.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
As a Christian, I profess to want to serve God. But God does not call us to an easy service. In verse 26 Jesus says, "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also". Where Jesus goes is explained in the previous verses, where He explains the need for His death. That death must be experienced by us as well: "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (verse 25). What we need to die to is our love of this world and its pleasures, which is not to say that we must be ascetics; rather it means that we must realize it is a poor reflection of the greater good in God, and we must value the latter more than the former. When we get lost in sexual immorality, we are placing its temporary pleasures above God. The antidote is to die to our selfish desires and follow Jesus to the cross.
Lord, help me to follow you to the cross.