I Jesus own words trying to save your life here, you will lose it but giving your life to him, means you will save your life, (in eternity), some examples of people that saved their life here but lost it in the long run, King Saul, a proud man that didn’t obey God and was tormented in this life and without giving your soul into God’s hand means lossing it. The High Preist Caiophas (High Preist during Christ’s time), he tried to save his life by sacrificing the son of God because he thaught the Romans would wipe out Israel if the people were allowed to make Jesus King. Pilate (the prefect of Rome in Israel) was warned by his wife and couldn’t find any reason to crucify Jesus but to save his position he went along with theJewish leaders and had Jesus crucified. Judas Iscariot, for thirty pieces of silver, ( read the Zechariah post) sold his eternal soul for a sum that was a good amount but by no means would even let him life a life of luxury here, where is he now? When a person enters the world be becomes an eternal living soul, so he is some where, I will let you guess, he sold out the treasure of Heaven for a pittiance. The Rich young ruler, he had followed and obeyed God’s law all his life but his possessions were more important than giving up his life for Christ, I’m willing to bet had he done as the LORD asked him we all would remember him and his name and his works.
Those that gave up their physical l,ife to do service to the LORD, there are a multitude and most are still remembered and revered today. Stephen one of the very first martyrs for Jesus, as they were stoning him, because he was full of the HOly Spirit and professed his faith in the Messiah, cried out as he was dying, “I see Jesus sitting at the right hand of great power, no doubt where Stephen is today. All the disciples were led to the mountain and Jesus instructed them to go, preaching the good news and Babptizing those that would come into the Kingdom, Jesus then took them to the mount of Olives and they watched as he ascended into heaven. almost all of them were willing to die a martyers death because they had no doubt where they were going after death. During their life Peter established the Catholic Church, Paul converted many peoples to Christ and gave up everything for the joy of knowingJesus, considered those things manure in their loss. Paul was a highly educated man but after he was knocked off his horse, he let nothing stand in the way of service. Then there was KIng David a man that God said he was a man after his own heart (the post about a friend of God explains why). Now wew have Charlie Kirk a young man that could have gone to College, worked and tried to gain wealth, instead he gave his life to Jesus and argued for the things of God, now he has eternity to enjoy his relationship with the LORD. Giving up your life for Jesus here means gaining it in eternity and almost always what you gave up is returned to you here as well as eternal life in God’s dwelling in the Heavens, while serving him here may or may not return to your advantage but the greatest promise ever given to man came from Jesus own words, I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, you may be also, nothing compares to that promise. To those that belong to him, I love you with the love of the LORD and pray his peace with you this day with no regard to circumstances in your life, to those that don’t belong, he is standing at the door hoping you will enter into the Kingdom, with a love for you that made him willingly give up his life, yes for loves sake he gave it up as he could have stopped it during the crucifiction.