"..you will embark on a discovery of more and more of true life" Luke 9:24 (TPT)

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 is what Christianity is all about, the denial of our natural desires, wants and ambitions, in pursuit of God’s glory in us.  The Christian life was never about what we could get out of God, but rather what He could get out of us.  His Glory, which is to demonstrate through us that our God is a God of love, not of judgment, anger, and punishment.

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.

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