We Live By Dying

I recently came across a powerful song that had a verse that struck me. It said this: “We live by dying.” I love that! Why? Because in a world that says "live your truth," "chase your dreams," and "put yourself first," the gospel comes in and flips the script. Jesus says, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23, LSB).

Let that sink in: We live… by dying.

This isn’t poetic fluff or some abstract spiritual riddle. It’s the heartbeat of Christian discipleship. It’s the cost of following Jesus. And it’s the only path to real, lasting life.

Let me unpack three ways we’re called to die—and how that death leads to the abundant life Christ promised.

1. Dying to Self: The End of Me
We are naturally wired to be selfish. We look out for number one. Even our culture applauds the idea of self-promotion, self-care, and self-preservation. But Jesus calls us to something greater: death to self.

Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, LSB).
That’s not a metaphor—it’s a mission.

When we die to self:

• Our will submits to His.
• Our pride bows to humility.
• Our desires are replaced with His purpose.

We stop living for our glory and start living for His. That’s freedom.

2. Dying to Sin: Freedom in Surrender
The Bible doesn’t suggest sin is bad—it declares it leads to death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, LSB).

But here's the beautiful paradox:
To escape death, we must die—die to sin.

Romans 6:11 tells us:
“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

This means:

• We no longer excuse sin—we crucify it.
• We don’t flirt with temptation—we flee from it.
• We don’t hide our sin—we bring it into the light, and we kill it before it kills us.

You can’t live for Jesus and live for sin. One has to die.
And if you kill sin, you’ll come alive in ways you never imagined.

3. Dying to Selfishness: Living to Serve
Jesus said He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom (Mark 10:45). And then He looked at us and said, “Follow Me.”

We are called to die to selfishness—not once, but every single day:

• In our marriages, we put our spouse first.
• In our homes, we serve instead of demanding.
• In our churches, we give rather than consume.

Philippians 2:3–4 (LSB) says:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves, not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

The Christian life isn’t about climbing a ladder; it’s about laying your life down. Real power is found in humility. Real joy is found in service.

Here’s the paradox that saves us: Jesus died so we could live. And now, we die daily so His life can shine through us.

If you're feeling worn out trying to find life in all the wrong places, maybe it's time to stop striving and start surrendering.

Maybe it's time to die—

• To self.
• To sin.
• To selfishness.

And in doing so, we truly live because we live by dying.

In Love,
Pastor Jody