I Die Daily

1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV) I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

God gave us many wonderful truths through the writings of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Peter, speaking of Paul’s inspired writings, said:

2 Peter 3:15-16 (KJV) {We} account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

The Chief Apostle recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture given him by the Lord. But Peter also said that many of Paul’s writings are “hard to be understood”. Paul lived so close to God that many of his sayings are hard for us to understand. One which I’ve preached before is “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Just three words, but with great meaning. I want to look at another three word saying of Paul today, one that we all desperately need. The Apostle says:

I Die Daily!

In one sense we all die daily

Many people ignore the fact that every day we live is also a day we die. We are born into this world growing but also dying. Death was pronounced on mankind from the time of Adam. God told Adam that he was to tend the Garden of Paradise. God gave Adam all things in that Garden to eat, but warned:

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Our forefather Adam did that which God told him not to do. I do not know if Adam even knew what death was, for there was no death nor killing in Eden. But the Scripture tells us that:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

It was not God’s desire that we die. This was Adam’s idea. He violated God’s ordinance, and God did as He said. Adam brings death. Every child that came forth from Adam – and that’s all of us – are born dying. Death is no respector of persons. It does not matter if you are rich or poor, young or old, male or female. It doesn’t matter your race, nor your home town. The Bible tells us that because of Adam’s sin:

Hebrews 9:27 … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

You may break the law and evade human justice. You may avoid paying taxes. There are a lot of things you can do in this. But one thing you cannot do – you cannot evade death. The Psalmist said:

Psalms 89:47-48 Remember how short my time is:… 48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

It is the fool that ignores the reality of death. “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psalm 90:12)”. The unbeliever who rejects the concept of death was spoken of by our Lord and Savior. In the Parable of the Rich Fool Jesus said:

Luke 12:16-21 … The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

How foolish to ignore the reality of death. I die daily. We all die daily. We do not know when we will come to the end of this present life. Jesus warned us all the lay up treasure for yourself in God’s Kingdom, for the treasures you have today you will one day have no more. The fool ignores death. The fool, when he thinks on it, dreads death. But the Christian has considered death, and has given his soul to Christ. Jesus has conquered death. He has risen, just as He said. Jesus has promised us who love Him and believe in Him eternal life. He prayed for His Church before He died on Calvary:

John 17:1-2 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

I die daily, but Christ has conquered death. I no longer fear death for He is my Life! He has said:

John 10:28 I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

The Resurrected Savior has every believer in His nail scarred hands. Jesus is the One and Only Person Who has the keys to death and the grave (Revelation 1:18). He has said:

John 11:25-26 … I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Oh Beloved, we do not groan because we die daily. We praise Him BECAUSE we die daily.
What is death to the Christian but a promotion?

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

To be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”. The Apostle Paul looked forward to leaving this life. He said that “I desire to depart and so be with Christ, which is so much better” (Philippians 1:23). Oh, that you all could say with the same confidence “I die daily” and not tremble in the saying. It is the sign of perfect love that you desire to be with the Lord more than you desire to be on this present earth. The unbelieverc dies daily and fears to confront nor even consider his death. But the strong believer intentionally and daily faces his mortality – and rejoices. For immortality will not come until the mortal is placed to the side. That which is corruptible must be sown into the ground, so that that which is immortal can be clothed upon us.

Dying Daily Is The Normal Christian Life

Many in the modern Church do not understand this, but “I die daily” is a mark of the normal Christian life. Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 16:24-26… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Salvation begins the day that YOU die and Christ is born in you. Jesus was very clear. To “come after Him” – to be in His Salvation – you MUST take up your Cross and follow Him. The Cross was not in Jesus’ day a pretty piece of jewelry. The Cross was a device of death. It was a complete humiliation. It was a public shaming. Jesus did not say “Take up your Cross and, when tired or embarrassed or humiliated or shunned – then put it down!” No, Jesus said “Take up your Cross and follow Me”. This is a willing choice.

The Cross is never forced on anyone by God. Religion forces the Cross on others,
but not God.

On the day that Jesus was crucified He had to carry His own Cross (John 19:17). As Jesus carried that Cross at one point the blood that He lost in being beaten caused Him to fall. When He fell, the Roman authorities forced Simon from Cyrene to bear His Cross:

Matthew 27:32 … as they came out, {the Roman Soldiers} found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. (also Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26)

Simon was FORCED to carry Christ’s Cross. He was forced by man. But Christ commands us to WILLINGLY take up His Cross and follow Him. Though Simon carried Christ’s Cross the rest of the way to Calvary, there is no other evidence in the Scripture that Simon EVER did anything else for God his entire life. There have been oral human traditions that have grown up around this man, but nothing historically accurate.

When Paul said “I die daily” this speaks to His willingness to voluntarily follow the Lord. Beloved, the one that must be COMPELLED to follow Jesus is not Christ’s child. I’ll say it again, and louder:

If you must be COMPELLED to take up the Cross and follow Christ, then you are probably NOT Christ’s child!

To take up the Cross is to willingly humble yourself for Christ’s sake. One day Peter told Jesus:

Luke 18:28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

Inherent in his question is the unspoken “Lord, what will we receive for this?” Jesus immediately replied:

Luke 18:29-30 … Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

To die daily is to put yourself last and Christ first. To live for Him. To make Christ a priority. This is the normal Christian life. Don’t believe me? Read:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Inside of me there is an evil David Who wants his own way. I must kill this David daily. Jesus died for me so that I could live for Him. I must die daily for this to happen. Our attitude must mimic that of Paul, who said:

Philippians 3:7-8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Oh Beloved there is coming a judgment day for all, even the Christian. How will you stand on that Judgment Day? Will you see all your rewards burn up in the fiery gaze of God’s Judgment. Will you see your works burn up as useless, suffering the loss of reward … though you yourself will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15). I wish myself to gain a crown or two that I may lay them at my Christ’s feet in glory. This will not happen if I do not die daily.

Dying Daily Is The Putting Away Of The Old Man

There is not a day that goes by that I do not have to kill David Buffaloe. I die daily. If you belong to Jesus we are commanded to:

Galatians 5:24 … crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The old me must die, and I must become more like Christ. Therefore I willingly give up those portions of my life that are dishonoring to the image of Christ.

Ephesians 4:20-24 … But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:8-11 … But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit Who is in you bind every work of the flesh that belongs to Adam, and release every work of the Spirit that belongs to Christ. Sacrifice the old you for the God empowered you. Do not be arrogant or prideful. God resisteth the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6).

Forgive trespasses against yourself. Your old nature will rise up when you are offended, and you will be tempted to strike heartily at the offender. The devil will whisper in your ear, “Go ahead. Let him have it! He deserves it!” But if I die daily I will remember the words of my Lord:

Romans 12:19-21 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Adam cannot overcome Adam, but Christ defeats Adam – and Satan – every time! What has my Master said?

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Do it for Christ’s sake. In time, Christ will triumph. His way is best. Stop trying to live life your way. Die daily. Live life Christ’s way!

Die Daily At Calvary

To die daily is to be apart from the world
but in union with Christ.

Every believer should frequently walk the Calvary Road and pause standing at the foot of the Cross. Die daily with Jesus. Die daily to your sins. When you sin, when you have been selfish, when you have broken the Father’s heart – stop, repent, and die to yourself. Ask the Father to forgive you for Christ’s sake. Do not do as Adam did, trying to fix his error with fig leaves and foolishness. You are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords if you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. You are not your own. You belong to Him. Or do you?

Some of you do not. Because you never died the first time, you will not die daily. There are many false tares in the Churches everywhere. Spiritless creatures who have never given themselves to the Lord. Salvation begins with dying daily. It begins with repentance, which is a turning away of your old man. David Buffaloe had to die to self before salvation came. Because of Him I know that I am saved. The only hell I will ever experience is on this earth. But for the one without Christ, the only Heaven they will ever experience is ON this earth.

I’d much rather be in Christ. How about you? May God touch your hearts with His Word.