IN continuing with the teaching Jesus gave in response to the words of Peter in verse 22, we come now to verse 25. Peter's mind was centered on this world, and glory in this world. His idea of the Messiah was of an earthly king who would raise his followers to glory in this world and this life. This spirit is in us all, and it drives all human ambition. Parents seek to give their children all the advantages that they may become a success in their lives for this world. People have ambition in life which is centered on glory and promotion in this life. We are blind to the deeper issues of the purposes of God for this world and its future. Christ did not come to save us for this world, but to save us out of this world. There is no doubt that following Christ brings joy and purpose to life in this world, but it has little if anything to do with success as the world sees it. If a Christian becomes rich and important in this life it is unusual, and probably a great drawback in the life that really matters.

Jesus is dealing with this syndrome in this rather enigmatic verse 25. What does Jesus mean by 'saving his life' and 'losing it' in the first half? What does he mean by 'losing his life for me' and 'finding it' in the second half? It is easy to be superficial as we face these questions.

It is with these questions in mind that I have opened this meditation in the way that I have. Jesus is addressing what was in the mind of Peter and in all human beings who are not true disciples of Jesus. This world is everything. Life in this world is what is to be worked for. Thinking in this way, to save our life is to seek prosperity and success in this worldly life, and to live for the achievement of this. For most of us it simply means we spend all our energy in becoming secure and comfortable in this life, and finding reasonable happiness, and if we climb higher in the ladder of success in the world, this is all for the better. All this is what Jesus calls in Matthew 6 as storing up treasure on earth. This seems to be saving our life, and it is, as far as this life is concerned. The trouble is that this life is comparatively short. When we are young life seems very long indeed. When we are in the category of old age, we still live as if there is no end to this life. This is certainly how the devil wishes to keep everyone thinking. However the fact is that death is the one absolute certainty in this life, and what will happen to us then?

It is the tragedy of the emphasis of the church these days that it neglects this fact, and seems to be concerned only for peoples' welfare in this life. When Christ is presented he is presented as a Saviour who sorts out our difficulties and problems in this life. Yet the Gospel is all concerned with the saving of our souls for eternity and beyond the grave. It is here that the words of Jesus in verse 25 become meaningful. If we seek to save our life in the way I have described, and concentrate only on this life, and so spend our energy in avoiding anything that might upset our comforts in this life, we shall neglect the fact of eternity, and our condition in eternity. Jesus is telling us that life must include more, and does include more, than this earthly time. Life is concerned with eternity, so living just for this world is very short sighted. In fact to live only for this life is to lose our lives, because when we are ushered into eternity by death, we shall find ourselves lost and in misery for eternity, and our life will be lost because there will be no comfort or blessing in eternity if we have only lived for this world.

This is what Jesus is saying, but people will not face why this is so. Leaving God out of their lives, they fail to realize God's view both of this world and of themselves. Why we lose our lives if we seek to save it, is because we are under God's judgement and condemnation for our sins, and unless we are saved from this we shall have no life in eternity. All will be torment and sorrow and loneliness and darkness.

This is why the only way to save our life is to lose our life for Jesus. There is no advantage in losing our life in this world without Jesus because even if we deny ourselves all the pleasures of life, and spend our lives in sacrificial service for others, without Jesus this will not save our lives, and the reason is that no sacrifice we can make can ever take away God's judgement upon us for our sins. Our sins are too evil in the sight of God for any work or sacrifice we may make to cancel or wash away.

This is the folly of natural religion which bases acceptance with God on our own works of righteousness and service for others. Our goodness always falls short of God's purity. Our service always is less than 100%. Nothing we can do, feel or think, ever is perfect and so pleasing in the eyes of God.

This is why Jesus says the way to find life is to lose our lives for him. Jesus is the only one through whom our sins can be forgiven. He alone satisfies God's holiness, and so it is only Jesus who can save us from our sins and their consequence before God. The only way to save our life is to give our life to Jesus in trust and obedience as our Lord and Saviour. This means, as we saw in our last meditation, that the world may hate us, and we have to give up the world and its opinion and gain. This is very much losing our life in worldly terms, but in surrendering ourselves to Jesus, and trusting him to save us from our sins, we will be given life eternal and heavenly bliss when this life is over.