(Read Matthew 16:24-26)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter and our study has brought us to the following passage in Matthew 16.:
Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me. For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it. For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul? What could a man offer to buy back his soul once he had lost it?”
Yesterday we focused in on the words, “For the man who wants to save his life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for my sake will find it”. Today we will focus in on the words, “For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul?”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Jesus’ question, “For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world at the price of his own soul?”, is a very important one. In context, Jesus was speaking of dying self and selfishness in order to find your true life in God. He was speaking of giving up the life you came up with for the life God planned for you to have. His question, then, makes me think of the following:
a) Pursuing a life you came up instead of the life God wants you to have comes as a great cost: Your soul.
b) What could possibly be worth your soul? What could you possibly pursue that is worth losing your soul over?
c) Dying to self and surrendering to God is a critical matter. Your soul is at stake.
d) When making a decision to either die to self in order to live God’s plan for your life or pursuing your selfish desires, you must remember that your soul lies in the balance.
2. Many spend their lives pursuing money, fame, influence and etc. Some achieve their goals and others don’t. But even for those who achieved what the world would call success, if you did not do it God’s way, you will find that it came a great price. That price is your eternal soul.
3. Jesus was not against earthly wealth, power or influence. Jesus was just against sin, selfishness and self promotion.
4. Instead of pursuing “things”, Jesus taught us to pursue God. If we pursue God and His purpose for our lives, we will find that “things” will pursue us (Mat 6:33).
5. Jesus did not see giving up his life as a loss. He saw it as a gain, if it meant doing what the Father wanted. If we want to succeed in life, we must learn to see sacrifice the way Jesus did.
6. In Christ losing is gaining. Losing any selfish desire that will lead you outside of God’s purpose for your life will lead to immeasurable gains.
7. Nothing in this world is worth losing your soul over. Surrender to God and you will not only experience eternal riches, but you will also get to experience an amazing life – the life planned for you to live before the foundations of the world.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began. So success, for me, has already been defined. There is no measure of success outside of Your purpose. Anything I pursue on my own, outside of Your purpose for my life, is a waste of time, energy and effort. Not only that, but refusing to die to sin, selfishness and self promotion have cost many their souls. That shall not be my testimony. I willingly die to self. I wholeheartedly give myself over to You. I surrender the life I came up with for the life You planned for me to have. There is nothing in this world worth losing my soul over. I willingly die. I intentionally submit. I purposefully pursue. And as a give up the pursuit of “things” in order to pursue You, I declare that “things” will pursue me. Everything I need to accomplish my divine assignment is already mine. You already planned for me to have it. It is already allocated for me. My success is pre-planned, predetermined, and already prepared. All I have to do is die to me and pursue You with all my might. I declare that I do. I will live every second of every day in pursuit of my divine purpose. As I do, I will live an amazing life – the life You dreamed of for me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
