LOSE YOUR LIFE(2)

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Text :Mark 8:35 

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it._ 

Losing one's life does not come without taking right steps in the right direction. In the verse(34) before our text, Jesus outlined the prerequisites to losing the (soulish) life.

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come After me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. MARK 8:34.

The first thing we must note in this verse is that Jesus called both the _people and his disciples_ . The condition to losing one's life is common to all and sundry. The following conditions are stated clearly:

 *1. Invitation For All* : Firstly, the invitation is given to all.  He called both the people and His disciples and said to them, "whosoever will come after me...."

 *2. Deny himself:* Jesus wanted anyone that will follow Him to deny himself. Easyenglish version says, "... _He must decide that his own life is not important."_ 

To follow Jesus, you must lose your life; to lose your life, you must decide that your own life is not important.

You cannot love Jesus until you have first of all hated yourself. 

_If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.(Luke  14:26)_ 

 *3.Take Up His Cross:* 

Paul once gave his own testimony of how he Loses his own life on the cross.

 _I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me._ 

Galatians 2:20.

The only way to losing your life is the cross. The cross is the instrument of suffering and death. That's what helps you to be crucified to the world and the world to you.

 _But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world._ _Galatians  6:14_  

 *4. Follow me* Losing our soulish life is a continuous process. Hence, we must continue to follow in Jesus' steps.

 *He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose -Jim Elliot* 

Bible reading: Like 14:26-33

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