He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
John 12:25-26 (KJV)
Bottom line: The best way to honor a man is to live for what he lived for.
Teaching
Every true Christian desires to please the Lord. He/she will always want the father to be happy with him/her. True believers seek the favor of God. This was the testimony that Jesus had when he walked the face of this earth.
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 3:17
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Matthew 17:5
Everyone born of the Spirit of Christ desires this report as well. We all want to honor Jesus.
Well, the best way to honor Jesus is to live for what he lived for and die for what he died for.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
John 12:25-26
Our Lord Jesus came to earth for one specific reason, to reconcile the world back to God. This was his ultimate mission.
The Bible shows us some specific reasons for his coming:
He came to seek and to save the lost.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Matthew 9:13
He came to establish a new covenant with humanity.
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:28
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:14-15
This was what he lived and died for. After fulfilling his assignment, he told us;
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15
These were his last words. Therefore, if you seek to please the Lord, you must preach the good news to the lost. Spread the word of what he accomplished on the cross. Live for the cross. Live for the gospel, then you shall attract the Lord’s favor.
Further Study
- Romans 14:8 [For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ]
Reflection
- Looking at your life so far, can you say you are living for Christ, or you are living for yourself?
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for sending your son to pay the price for my sins. Teach me Lord to honor the work of the cross daily and live for the gospel, in Jesus’s name. Amen.
