<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-unhide:no; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> It is important that we get the message straight about the Christian’s life. Jesus is not telling people to live an ascetic life for the purpose of living an ascetic life. Nor is Jesus suggesting that a vow of poverty and a bare-bones life will cause someone to find salvation. Listen to his words carefully. “Whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Whoever trusts in him as Lord and Savior and, as a result, is willing to endure whatever hardship comes as a result rather than leaving Jesus behind - that person may lose the world, but not his soul. Jesus’ message about the Christian life is that it often is a reflection of his own life. Christ suffered for us, and we can expect to suffer for him.
That’s another message that our sinful nature would rather not hear. Lose my life for Jesus? Do I really want that? Is it worth working on my troubled marriage when it would just be easier to give it up and walk away? Is it worth speaking up about Jesus Christ when I wouldn’t get strange looks from people if I just kept my mouth shut? Is it worth denying myself the latest gadgets, or the newest car, or the tropical vacation, so that I can give more to the work of our church, the ministry of our school, and the mission of our synod? But at that point, when our sinful nature flirts with the message of a cushy life, Jesus’ warning comes to mind. “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Chasing after an ungodly way of life or obsessing about unnecessary things in life cannot gain eternal life.