Should We Die to Self?

Some Christians teach that we should die to self. Is this a Biblical phrase? No, this phrase is not used in the scriptures. It can lead to a lot of misunderstanding. I agree with what people may be saying when they use this phrase, but this is not what the Bible says. The Bible says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”(Philippians 1:21) However, the context, if you read what comes before and after, is talking about physical death for the glory of God. However, Christian martyrs would die to self-preservation as the highest value and choose to honour and to live eternally in and to the honour of Christ. We, in a sense, die to living our life apart from God and his glory. We die to sin. As heaven is without sin, so on earth we can be less and less sinful, and therefore we will taste and savour heaven in this life. The more we make room for God in our lives, the more he fills it, if we truly seek him.

Another scripture that may be understood and applied out of context is Romans 6:6, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Some translations use the term the old self was crucified. Note that this is talking about something that has occurred in the past. This scripture refers to our old Adamic nature, which was crucified in Christ. Why then do Christians still sin? Heaven can be a present reality, and we can choose to live in this reality of it, or in the old flesh patterns or habits. We must take spiritual growth very seriously. A little later will talk a little more of what the term “flesh” means in this context. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). This is a process as well as a past event. Christians are in the process of crucifying the flesh by the Spirit and inner transformation of character. (Romans 8)

The Apostle Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). What does he mean when he says that it is no longer I that live? The ESV Study Bible notes on this verse says, “It is no longer I who lives does not mean that Paul has no personality of his own (all his writings show that he does) but that his own personal interests and goals no longer direct his life, rather, Christ who lives in me now directs and empowers all that he does.” This is the condition of those who have grown into Christlikeness with much effort and fortitude.

We are certainly to die to sin and specifically the sin of selfishness, sinful pride and walking in our own resources apart from God. Study the scripture to understand how the New Testament especially uses the terms of self-ambition, self-indulgence, self-seeking, and self-will. If we are not aligned with God, then we are not in sync with everything good and glorious. It is not that we are not to have ambition, but that it is an ambition overseen by God and under his authority and honour. The businessman may express some ambition in business but have his prime passion in the Lord, and it should show in his contributions to the servants of God and involvement in the kingdom of God. Servants of God are those who are called to be dedicated to God in life and service. The Bible says to the servants of God,” And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” (Jeremiah 45:5). These servants of God primarily have an ambition for Jesus to be great in their lives and in the lives of others. And as the scriptures state, “ Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches” (Galatians 6:6).

A non-Christian has resources God has given them, but they don’t give God credit and honour for them. The only reason man can do some good is because of God; in this age of grace, it is made available. However, in eternity, without God in salvation through Jesus Christ, this will cease to be. Man does no good apart from the grace of God. (Romans 3:10-18;25)

Selfishness is a huge problem. It is an idol that needs to be put aside and behind. This is what the Bible says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (2 Timothy 3:1).

Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). In other words, we are to live not to our own agenda but primarily God’s. Selfishness is sin, and we are to lay it aside. Living just for oneself instead of God is sin. We are to be willing to even suffer to do the will of God, because we love God. In denying what is lesser, we gain what is much greater in a love relationship to God, inner transformation and heaven. We are, in a sense, only denying what is worthless.

1 Corinthians 13 helps us define what is God’s love. “ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Our life now can be aligned with God. We are to be so melded together with God, that as the Apostle Paul stated, ” 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). We are not to die to self, but live fully in Christ. We are to live our true selves fully aligned in Christ. Our best life is in full union with Christ. We are called to be in Christ instead of sin. We are called out of selfishness to love God and in God others.

Sin needs to be crucified in Christ, and we are to rise to new life. Heaven will be without evil and thus sin. If you love sin more than God, you may not want to go to heaven. As Christians, we are no longer to live in the flesh, but to walk in the Spirit. To walk in the flesh is to primarily live for self, serve self and worship self. We live in a world that has a theology of self rather than a theology of God. The flesh is old, learned patterns of walking independent of God. It is to walk just in our own so-called resources instead of Christ. It is to love sin and selfishness much more than Jesus. However, it is all about truly loving God and growing in that love that all things come to be in order, we are healed, and we see from God’s perspective, and experience fullness. When we truly walk in God’s love, nothing is greater. As Augustine said, “Love God and do as you please.” If we love God, his glory, goodness, and holiness will be our greatest desire. These desires must be cultivated in a love relationship with Jesus and by feeding ourselves spiritually. Godly thinking leads to right desires and the transformation of character.

Sin limits us and distorts life. It brings harm against the self and binds and crushes the good that is in us and available through Christ. Our lives shrivel up and waste away. We deny ourselves, but as the book of Revelation explains, we will receive much more for all the sacrifices we make. To not walk the Jesus way is to truly deny ourselves of all that is most valuable in this life and the life to come. The book of Revelation gets to the core of it all, as Tim Chester, in his book called Revelation For You, states, “The idea that life on earth is so infinitely precious that the death which robs us of it must be the ultimate tragedy is preciously the idolatry that John is trying here to combat.” (page 76) Yes, we as Christians may have to give our lives because of our testimony of the gospel. If not, our lives at least we will be persecuted in some sense for our testimony to Jesus and his love. Those who don’t love the truth often hate it. Charlie Kirk is an example of a Christian martyr who was not passive but bold in lovingly engaging our culture.

We don’t only want people to go to heaven; we want them to become disciples of Jesus and have that very close love relationship that Jesus had with the Father. We want them to taste heaven now and walk progressively in that state. Don’t stop at just becoming a Christian; become a disciple, and that means letting heaven be in our lives now in fullness. We testify to Jesus by our words and our lives. A disciple learns to live in God’s kingdom now.

Jesus doesn’t want us to die to self, who we are; he wants us to live fully in him and walk with him and do what Jesus has instructed us to do and be. We must live fully in Him until we die, and then we will be forever in the love of God, in absolute fullness. Dying will only be the beginning, and even when elderly, we have much to contribute and participate with God in his kingdom now. Heaven will be heaven because there will be no sin or evil there—no hate, no unforgiveness, no pride. Mankind will be truly free. Jesus is the only way to true freedom, now and forever.

We have a high calling. A calling that God provides the resources in his love. Reach out to Jesus and walk with him. Nothing is greater. Why should we waste our time here and not count the Lord as first and foremost in our love? An open door is available to you. Walk through and experience the fullness of life, becoming progressively transformed into the person you were created to be. Enter the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ and then learn to live in his kingdom now and forever. As Jesus said, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

The journey of life, spiritual development, and transformation, however, is not an “I” journey; it is a “we” journey. It is me with God and God with me. I am in Christ and Christ is in me. It is life with God, abiding and truly living in him. The good news is we are never alone in Jesus, and life is truly abundant in a close relationship with him.