This passage
has more meaning than meets the eye. Luke
is quoting Jesus in the third person.
The
words “self-sacrifice” is from the Greek word “ä-po'l-lü-mē”
which has a distinct definition. The
word means “to destroy utterly;” in Middle Voice, “to perish.”
The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being.
As the phrase continues it says “..giving up your lives..” Luke uses the word “psü-khā'”,
we get the English word “psychē” from this Greek word. It’s meaning however is not just
giving up our bodies for God’s glory, it is the surrender or willful giving up of
our minds, or our soul. The soul as an
essence which differs from the body as it is not dissolved by death.
So the phrase
is saying by definition “For if you choose or purpose to utterly destroy and
give up your soul for ruin seeking my glory in this process..”. Luke is not
giving any wiggle room here in choosing these specific Greek words, he is making a definite statement of purpose and
engagement saying that there is an exchange here which can be greatly beneficial,
trading one type of life for another.
Luke
continues to write the words of Jesus: “..you will embark on a discovery of more
and more of true life”, the word used here is “sōzō” which means “Heal.
Preserve, Save, Restore, Made whole”. As
we give up our soul, our journey of discovery of God’s glory will restore and
heal us and save us from destruction, and we experience this more and more as we
encounter Christ at every turn who transforms our destruction into true life in
Him.
This pursuit
of God’s glory is completely our choice, and we must pursue that glory to
make it part of our reality. This is described
as putting off the old to receive the new.
The way I like to describe this is it is like taking off old worn-out
clothing which has been a part of us and our identity for most of our lives and
then burning and destroying that old clothing. We then go before the Father and ask Him that we may be clothed in new clothing which reflects a new identity in Him, a new life, and a
new purpose and direction for the future.
This is what
“sōzō” entails, this new life in Christ.
We are brought into this adventure which reveals to us who we are in the
Father’s love, where there is healing, and we are restored and made whole. We are called Sons which are brought very near to the Father’s presence.
Now, in
contrast Luke quotes Jesus by saying that “..if you choose to keep your
lives for yourselves, you will lose what you try to keep” which means that
if you are resolved or determined to heal,
preserve, and save yourself without pursuing God’s glory, destruction will
come. The same Greek word is used here
for destruction
“ä-po'l-lü-mē” which speaks of the complete destruction and ruination of the
soul/mind.
The beauty
of this passage is that there is hope declared here for the one who has a
desire to know God. As we pursue Christ
we are going after life and love itself, it is not about us pursuing Him for our own
pleasure, it is for His pleasure that we may know Him and continue to discover
the mysteries that surround Him. The
pursuit of God is never truly never complete.
This pursuit reminds me of Indiana Jones as an archeologist seeking out the historical mysteries hidden in caves and underground caverns which detail a rich history of who we are as a people. Jones encountered many pitfalls and mishaps in his adventures but was always determined to see the adventure to its end.
This pursuit reminds me of Indiana Jones as an archeologist seeking out the historical mysteries hidden in caves and underground caverns which detail a rich history of who we are as a people. Jones encountered many pitfalls and mishaps in his adventures but was always determined to see the adventure to its end.
That is what
this passage above is telling us, we have an exchange to make, which is our
life for His life. Receiving the sacrifice of Christ Jesus as our own and then in like manner reckoning ourselves to be dead so that the risen Christ may live in us. As we make this exchange
the adventure begins to unfold before us.
May you be
bold as you consider what lies before you as you begin to explore the deep
areas of God and come away with a new revelation of who He is in your life, and
what you will become as a result of that encounter, truly free!
Be Blessed;
Stephen
Barnett
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