Dying to Live

The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him. (II Timothy 2:11)

II Tim 2:1-11; Rom. 6:5-11; Gal 2:20; Gal. 5:22-26; Col. 3:1-4

What Is God Saying?

Paul is at the end of his life, and this is the last of his letters. Persecution was afflicting and apostasy was infiltrating the Church, but for Paul, God was still in control. Christ was alive. His kingdom would prevail.

As a proud builder, Nero had a lot of ‘good’ ideas, none of which bore any resemblance to goodness. He decided to launch an urban redevelopment program for Rome and started by setting fire to the city. That is why he watched with delight as the flames danced from building to building. The Christians were blamed for it to divert suspicion from Nero, the real villain in the plot. It was the worst of times.

But 2 Timothy is a letter of hope and victory. Death was near. Paul sensed it. His friends (except for Luke) were far away, but the Lord was near. Listen to the final words of his final letter-"The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (II Tim. 4: 18) That is the deep meaning of Paul's words- dying with Christ, but that is only the beginning. We shall live with Him forever.

How Does This Apply To Us?

As we go through life's routines, we are absorbed with necessities, pleasures, duties, and goals. Somewhere down the line, the Great Intruder will stand across our path and make a shambles of our ambitious schemes and pleasant dreams. The castles of sand we build along the shorelines of life will wash away. Paul was speaking of life in the presence of death. The life of which he spoke and on which he built his hope was a life that could never be vanquished by death. So he looks at death and beyond it to life. To live with Christ is to live now and to live forever. Hear Jesus' words, "Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:26) Through faith, death is subdued, and life continues. But there is more good news: to live for Christ now is the best life. To live with Christ is the greatest destiny. Isn't that the best of both worlds?

Pray With Me

Lord Jesus, I come to You in the quietness of this early hour. The air is clear and clean. It is not filled with the dust of fretful care. My stream of thought has not been soiled by contact with anything less than the beauty of Your holiness. In this hour of deep and unhindered grace, I see that if I am ever to live with You, I must be willing to die with You.

To live with You is to live both now and forever. To live with You is to be bonded to the best and at liberty from the worst. To live with You is to possess riches that can never perish. To live with You is to be free from total dependence on material things, the abundance or the lack of which can bring care or misery. To live with You is to love mercy and truth, the root of all good. To live with You is to be at liberty from earthly treasures, the love of which is the root of all kinds of evil.

Whatever "dying with You" may mean, bring it to pass. I accept this truth today. Dying with You is surely the bright door of hope, the open door of grace, and the only door to life. Let me die with You, for then and only then shall I live with You.

In Your life-giving name. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

In every prayer, we should ask God to identify things that ought to be buried and forgotten because they died with us when we died with Him. It is equally important to encourage those things that ought to be kept and nurtured because they are a part of the life we now live and shall forever live with Him. For help in identifying both, read Galatians 5:22-26.