life-through-death

Last January, several college students and myself were returning from the Passion conference in Tennessee. We started an incredible conversation about life and death and specifically what scripture revealed about it.

It's very interestesting to learn from Scripture the incredible sayings of Christ. For instance, "greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Oh, and then he goes and shows it by dying on the cross. He also says things like, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Wow! What crazy words!

So anyway we are having this conversation about living for Christ and we come to the conclusion that every indication in Scripture describes our lives more accurately as "dying in Christ." Susie and Jennifer were both particpating in the conversation, along with Jonathan and Heather and a few others. We chased a few rabbits with this, but the conclusion was the same. Christ is glorified when we 'rest' in Him. This "life-through-death" union with Christ is crazy! However, it sure matches the words of Christ and His walk.

Read what I read from a guy named Ferguson, in the book The Holy Spirit, on the topic:

"In terms of sanctification, Paul argues, we are given over to death, external moritification, so that there may be the manifestation of Christ, i.e. the manifestation of his life in us. We carry around the dying of Jesus in our very bodeis, so that the life of Jesus may also be visible in them. Conformity to the risen Christ is possible only when conformity to the crucified Christ is present."

Read John 12:24 - it becomes even more alive.

Susie sheds further light on this in her last Sunday post.