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May 6, 2009
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Giving What Can't Be Kept, by Tim Archer
Jim Eliot had decided to go to Ecuador, seeking to take God's good news
to indigenous tribes who had never heard of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately
he lost his life in the effort, being murdered by the very Indians he
sought to teach. Later, however, Jim's widow Elisabeth was able to go
to those same aboriginal people and teach them about Jesus.
Years before going to Ecuador, Jim had written in his diary some
intriguing words. He wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot
keep to gain what he cannot lose." That's a powerful statement. It is
not foolish to give up this life (which can't be kept) to gain a life
that can't be lost (eternal life). Whatever we have to do in this life
to obtain eternal life is certainly worth it.
Jesus stated it in even stronger terms. Not only is it not foolish to
give up this life to obtain eternal life, it's necessary. Listen to how
the writer Luke reports it:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:23-25)
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose
Jesus said that the only way to save our life is to lose it. That is,
the only way to obtain eternal life is to let go of this life. We have
to be willing to turn our back on all this world offers.
The apostle Paul wrote: "I consider that our present sufferings are not
worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans
8:18). In another letter, he wrote, "For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them
all" (2 Corinthians 4:17). What he is saying is that any suffering that
we go through in this life is nothing compared to an eternity in the
presence of God. Think about it. What if we could draw a line that
stretched for all eternity? (That's obviously impossible, but use your
imagination). In that timeline that has no end, how much space would we
dedicate to our life here on earth? If we drew the tiniest dot, a mere
point on that line, it would be far too large. This life is nothing
compared to the one to come.
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot
lose. Don't spend so much time focused on a life that can't be kept
that you miss out on the life that can't be lost. Want to know more?
Write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our
HopeforLife.org blog.
(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing,
retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.
Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org)
Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!"
This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If
you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you,
sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life,
whatever you've done, you can begin again.
You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions
about becoming a new creation.
---------
(c) 2009 Herald of Truth
RELATED LINKS:
* The Gain Is Worth the Pain
www.hopeforlife.org/blog/entry.asp?ENTRY_ID=41
* Finding What We Seek
www.hopeforlife.org/blog/entry.asp?ENTRY_ID=52
* No Pain, No Gain
www.hopeforlife.org/blog/entry.asp?ENTRY_ID=63
* HopeForLife
http://www.hopeforlife.org
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200905/20090506_giving.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
WALKING WITH GOD, by John Eldredge
Giving you an example of what intimacy with God can look like, Eldredge
asserts that everyone can have conversational intimacy with Christ.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?250
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