Dying and Living

As I continue to think about the topic of dying to self for the benefit of another, I am led to think about 2 Corinthians 4:10 – 12: “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you (ESV).

These verses add some additional information for me. The dying may not necessarily be just dying to self, but also the danger we may experience as we share the Gospel or even live out our Christian life. I can clearly remember one night being covered up in the back of a van as we headed to our assignment. The situation was so scary to the driver that at one point he stopped, got out and threw up. Are we willing to take some risk for the sake of the Gospel?

Often I am asked what I do here in China. I always answer by saying that I teach. There is always a next question which contains the risk. “What do you teach?” When I say that I teach the Bible at a church and at a seminary, I get this rather blank look as the person tries to think what to say next. This happened on the bus on Friday. I shared briefly. The young fellow wanted my email address and he wanted it now because his bus stop was coming up. I can never be sure of the authority behind the question when a total stranger asks me, but I take risks for the possible benefit to the one asking.

As we present the Gospel there is always some risk in some form. That risk taking is the death that is at work in us. As we take that risk the power of the Gospel is going forth with the potential of creating life in the one who is listening. There always seems to be an element of death from which God raises up newness of life. Let us be willing to experience a little more dying for the sake of the Gospel and the benefit of those who hear.