The purpose of our life and our existence Is for Jesus Christ and for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of our life and our existence

Is for Jesus Christ and for

the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?’” (Luke 9:23–25)

 

 

 

(1)   Today, while meditating on the passage of Luke 9:23–25 together with Matthew 16:24–26 and Mark 8:34–37, I desire to receive the lessons that are given to us:

 

(a)    First, Jesus says to His disciples, “If anyone (whoever) wishes to follow Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23; Mt. 16:24; Mk. 8:34).

 

(i)               Here, the phrase “wishes” comes from the Greek word θέλει (thelei) [In the Korean Bible it is translated simply as “if anyone wants to follow,” but in the English Bible (NASB) it is translated as “wishes to come”].  This word refers to a voluntary desire or wish that arises from the heart, as well as the will (Internet).

 

·        This Greek word expresses voluntary actions such as will, desire, and choice, and it appears 209 times in the New Testament.  It is used in a wide range of contexts—from God’s sovereign purposes to people’s everyday wishes—making it an important term for understanding both divine initiative and human responsibility (Internet).

 

-        This Greek word is also repeatedly used to reveal the intentional and redemptive will of God and of Jesus.  For example, in 1 Timothy 2:4, God speaks of what He desires: “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  In John 17:24, Jesus prays as follows: “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am.”  In Philippians 2:13, it is written about the work of the Holy Spirit within believers: “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  The Holy Spirit accomplishes believers’ sanctification by His power, aligning their desires with the will of God (Ref.: Internet).

 

(ii)             Here, “to follow” comes from the Greek word ἔρχεσθαι (erchesthai), the present infinitive form of the verb ἔρχομαι (erchomai), which means “to come,” “to go,” or “to follow.”  In this context, translated as “to come after Me,” it signifies an active and continual action of following behind Jesus in order to become His disciple (Internet).

 

·        When I meditate on this Greek word, I receive instruction as I think about the purpose for which God the Son came to us [since the word ἔρχομαι (erchomai) means not only “to follow” but also “to come”]:

 

-        When I meditate on Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost,” just as Jesus came into this world for the purpose of seeking and saving the lost, I receive the lesson that we, as Jesus’ disciples who follow Him, should go into this world [since ἔρχομαι (erchomai) also means not only “to follow” and “to come,” but also “to go”] with the purpose of seeking and saving the lost.

 

-        When I meditate on the latter part of John 10:10, “… I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,” just as Jesus came into this world so that God’s sheep might have life and have it abundantly, I receive the lesson that we, as Jesus’ disciples who follow Him, should go into this world with the purpose of enabling God’s sheep to receive eternal life and to receive it abundantly.

 

n  Here, “eternal life” refers to being connected (reconciled) to God through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:10–11), to knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (Jn. 17:3), or to having fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, who is eternal life, through the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 1:2–3).  It also refers to entering the kingdom of heaven—the new heaven and the new earth—where we will live eternally with God, when the Lord returns and our bodies are either transformed (if we are still alive at that time) or resurrected (if we have died) and reunited with our souls.  The apostle John frequently uses the term “eternal life” in the Gospel of John, and its literal meaning has two aspects: (1) temporally, eternal life means “life that continues endlessly,” and (2) qualitatively, it means “a divine life that is different from human life” (Internet).  Therefore, the term “eternal life” includes both the meaning of life that is eternal in duration and life that is divine in nature, enjoyed in God. In particular, in the Gospel of John, the meaning of “eternal life” not only refers to “eternal blessings to be enjoyed in the life to come,” as in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), but places even greater emphasis on “blessings enjoyed in the present.”

 

Scripture says that the person who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, already has eternal life (1 Jn. 5:12).  The reason is that they have received into their hearts Jesus Christ, who Himself is eternal life (1:2; 5:20) (v. 12).  And Scripture says that those who have received Jesus Christ, who is eternal life, into their hearts and thus possess eternal life (3:14) are to love one another according to the commandment given by Jesus Christ (v. 23), loving one another just as Jesus loved us (Jn. 15:12).  Moreover, Scripture says that loving one another according to the commandment of Jesus Christ, who is eternal life (1:2; 5:20), is precisely what “pleases God” (1 Jn. 3:22).  And Scripture says, “Whoever keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (v. 24).  That is, when we love one another according to the commandment of Jesus Christ, we come to know—through the Holy Spirit whom God has given us—that we abide in the Lord and the Lord abides in us.  And Scripture says that if we abide in the Lord and the Lord abides in us, we bear much fruit (Jn. 15:5).  What, then, is this “fruit”?  In other words, what is the “fruit” that is borne when we love one another just as Jesus loved us, according to the commandment of Jesus Christ, who is eternal life?  I believe that this “fruit” is twofold. These two aspects—the twofold fruit—are that we become more like Jesus and that we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, when we, as disciples of Jesus who already possess eternal life by believing in Him, love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves, according to Jesus’ twofold commandment (Mt. 22:37, 39), the twofold fruit we bear is our “participation in the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4).  This means that, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, we become more like Jesus, and at the same time bear the fruit of the Spirit—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23).  And Scripture says that when we bear much fruit, God the Father is glorified, and we prove to be Jesus’ disciples (Jn. 15:8).

 

The blessing that true disciples of Jesus—who already have eternal life through faith in Him—enjoy in the present is the blessings of the life to come that are given as they share intimate, personal fellowship with the eternal God and with Jesus Christ, who is eternal life, through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 17:3; 1 Jn. 1:3).  A representative example of this is participation in God’s divine nature.  In other words, the blessing of eternal life that we partially enjoy in the present life on this earth, in Jesus Christ, is becoming more like Jesus through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.  In the midst of this, the blessing of the life to come that we partially enjoy now is the love of God. We have become children of God through the great love that God the Father of love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16) has bestowed upon us (3:1–2).  That is, God the Father first loved us (4:19) and sent His Son Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice to atone for our sins (v. 10), and through Him gave us life (verse 9), making us children of God (3:1–2).  Furthermore, through the love of Jesus—who laid down His life for us and became the atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins (2:2; 3:16)—our sins have been taken away (3:5).  Even now, Jesus Christ the Righteous is our advocate, defending us before God the Father even when we commit sin (2:1).  And the Holy Spirit has not only caused us to be born again—making us “born of God” (3:9; 5:1, 4)—and given us life (4:9), but also enables us to partially enjoy, even now on this earth, the eternal life that God has given us (5:11).  As we enjoy this, the Holy Spirit bears fruit by producing the fruit of God’s love that has been poured out into our hearts (Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5:22), and leads us to practice righteousness (1 Jn. 2:29; 3:10) by obeying Jesus’ twofold commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37, 39).  In doing so, He enables us to partially experience (Rom. 14:17) life in heaven—eternal life—even here on earth, allowing us to taste the fullness of joy of the kingdom of heaven (1 Jn. 1:4) and its wondrous peace (Jn. 20:19; Col. 3:15).

 

(iii)           Here, the Greek word “ἀρνησάσθω” (arnēsasthō), translated as “to deny oneself,” is used in Scripture with two primary meanings: (1) one is to deny Christ and His truth in a negative sense, and (2) the other is to positively renounce oneself or worldly honor for the sake of faithful obedience (Internet).

 

·        A good example of the first, negative meaning is the apostle Peter denying Jesus three times.

 

-        Peter’s three denials and their lesson: All four Gospels record the incident in which Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest (Mt. 26:70–72; Mk. 14:68–70; Lk. 22:57; Jn. 18:25–27).  His repeated statement, “I do not know the man,” shows a fear-filled denial against which believers must be on guard. However, Peter’s later restoration (Jn. 21:15–19) and his boldness through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8–20) demonstrate that Christ is the One who forgives those who repent and entrusts them with His mission once again (Internet).

 

n    Despite human denial, God’s faithfulness remains unchanged: Even when believers fail, God remains faithful.  “If we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:12–13).  This passage simultaneously conveys a solemn warning and an assurance of God’s unchanging character (Internet).

 

·        A good example of the second, positive meaning is Jesus’ statement to His disciples: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23).

 

-        Here, “to deny oneself” means relinquishing one’s own sovereignty in order to submit to the sovereignty of Christ.  It refers to completely renouncing and rejecting a self-centered life—one’s own desires, ambitions, plans, and ways of thinking (Internet).

 

n    Renunciation of self-centeredness: It is acknowledging that God is the true owner of one’s existence, possessions, and time, and abandoning one’s own plans and desires.

 

Radical self-denial: Arnēsasthō goes beyond mere humility; it means a total rejection in which the sovereignty of one’s life is taken away from oneself and entrusted to God.

 

Daily sanctification: It is not a one-time event, but a continual way of life in which one takes up one’s cross daily and crucifies sinful passions and greed.

 

Spiritual surrender: It is acknowledging that one cannot do good by one’s own strength, denying the old self, and allowing the life of God to come and dwell within.

 

In conclusion, to deny oneself means breaking the idol of the “self,” uniting with Christ, and making the decision—and taking the action—to live under the sovereignty of God (Internet).

 

(iv)            In the phrase “to take up one’s cross,” the Greek verb “ἀράτω” (aratō), translated as “to take up,” appears 101 times in the Greek New Testament and represents two primary actions: (1) lifting up or carrying something, and (2) removing or taking something away.  Depending on the context, its meaning may be positive (to lift up, to bear) or negative (to remove, to eliminate).  Because of this flexibility, biblical authors could naturally move from physical actions to spiritual meanings—for example, from the literal act of lifting up nets to the redemptive act of taking away sin through atonement (Internet).

 

·        A good example of the first meaning is the call of discipleship to bear the cross.

 

-        Jesus issues a solemn invitation: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23).  Here, the verb connects costly self-denial with continual obedience. This call is repeated in Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34, emphasizing that discipleship is not a one-time decision, but a lifelong commitment to bear Christ’s sufferings (Internet).

 

·        A good example of the second meaning is the removal of sin and condemnation.

 

-        John’s testimony reaches its climax: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29).  Later, John confirms, “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin” (1 Jn. 3:5).  In both passages, the verb vividly encapsulates Christ’s atoning work. He does not merely lighten the burden of sin; He removes it completely.  Paul echoes this theme, saying that the record of sin was “nailed to the cross and taken away” (Col. 2:14) (Internet).

 

·        “To take up one’s cross (ἀράτω, aratō)” means denying (putting to death) one’s own will, ego, and judgments for the sake of following Jesus Christ, and willingly bearing the suffering and sacrifice that come with obeying God’s will in daily life. This does not merely refer to outward suffering, but to the inner death of the self and total devotion.

 

1.      Core meaning (ἀράτω, ‘to lift up,’ ‘to bear’)

 

Self-denial: Laying down one’s own will, experiences, thoughts, and judgments, and placing Jesus’ will first.

 

Death to self: Crucifying the sinful self and experiencing spiritual death to the old nature.

 

Daily obedience: The cross is not borne once, but daily, as a continual posture of following Jesus.

 

2.      Misconceptions and truth

 

Misconception: Simply enduring hardships of daily life (such as illness, poverty, or difficult relationships) or blind devotion does not in itself mean bearing the cross.

 

Truth: The cross is the suffering and sacrifice one voluntarily chooses for the sake of Jesus and the gospel, even when one is not guilty—suffering that arises from the decision to follow the Lord.

 

3.      Biblical background and practice

 

Matthew 16:24: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”

 

Practice: It means ceasing to live according to one’s own will and instead asking, “What would Jesus do in this situation?” and making decisions accordingly.

In conclusion, taking up one’s cross is active submission—putting one’s self to death while walking with Jesus, and relinquishing one’s comfort and rights for the sake of God’s will (Internet).

 

(b)   Second, Jesus says to His disciples: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it (find it)” (Lk. 9:24; Mt. 16:25; Mk. 8:35).

 

(i)               In Luke 9:23, the phrase “If anyone wishes to follow Me …” uses the Greek word θέλῃ (thelē, “wishes”), and this same word appears again in Luke 9:24: “Whoever wishes to save his life …”

 

·        The Greek word “ἀπολέσει” (apolesei), translated as “will lose,” goes beyond the idea of merely losing something; it carries a strong sense of destruction, ruin, and eternal loss.  It is a paradoxical warning that those who seek to preserve their worldly security and self-centered lives will ultimately forfeit eternal life and true value.  It means that trying to protect one’s own life (self) rather than following Christ leads to spiritual destruction (Internet).

 

-        If we live striving to protect our own ambitions, comfort, and worldly values, then the very life we try to preserve will, from an eternal perspective, end up as something utterly devoid of value and vitality—ruin (Internet).

 

(ii)             As I meditate on the phrase “for Me and for the gospel” in Luke 9:24, I believe that these words of Jesus must become the purpose of life and existence for all His disciples.   That is, the purpose of our life and existence is for Jesus and for the gospel of Jesus.

 

·        According to these words of Jesus, we must live for Him and for the gospel. To do so, what should we do, and how should we live? I will share three points:

 

(1)   We must come to know Jesus.

 

We must grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I pray that we may be able to make the same confession as the apostle Paul: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord …” (Phil. 3:7–8a).

 

(2)   We must hear—and hear again—the gospel of Jesus.

 

The gospel of Jesus refers to the truth that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4).  Because Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, we received forgiveness of sins; because He was raised again (the resurrection), we were justified (Rom. 4:25).  We must hear this good news of the gospel again and again.  In particular, we must repeatedly hear that God loved us and freed us from our sins by the blood Jesus shed on the cross (Rev. 1:5).  And we must believe that by God’s grace we have been freed from sin and justified by believing in Jesus (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 6:7; Gal. 2:16).  Thus, we have received eternal life as God’s gift (Rom. 5:18; 6:23).

 

(3)   We must lay down our lives for Jesus and for the gospel.

 

To that extent, we must recognize that Jesus and the gospel are more precious than our own lives.  We must realize that living for Jesus and for the gospel is the mission of all Christians. With this sense of mission—burning with it—we must live while proclaiming the gospel of Jesus.  I pray that all of us may be able to make the same confession as the apostle Paul: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

 

(iii)           Jesus said, “Whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it (find it)” (Lk. 9:24; Mt. 16:25; Mk. 8:35).  Here, “to lose one’s life” does not simply mean physical death, but refers to a life in which one gives up personal stubbornness, desires, and worldly values for the Lord, and chooses the way of the cross—suffering and sacrifice.  And “will save it (find it)” is the promise that when we put the self to death and follow the Lord, we receive eternal life and experience the joy of true life under God’s reign (Internet).

 

(c)    Finally, third, Jesus says to His disciples: “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?” (Lk. 9:25; Mt. 16:26; Mk. 8:36–37)

 

(i)               Here, the Greek word “ὠφελεῖται” (ōpheleitai), translated as “profit,” was commonly used in economic and commercial contexts to mean “to gain profit.” Jesus contrasts this with spiritual value and conveys a profound message.

 

·        An absolute comparison of value

 

The whole world < oneself (the soul): Even if a person gains all the wealth and honor of the world, if the result is the loss of one’s own soul—the very foundation of one’s existence—then the transaction ultimately results in a loss.

 

Temporary gain vs. eternal gain: Worldly success is only a temporary benefit, but the self preserved within a relationship with God possesses eternal value.

 

·        The true definition of “profit”

 

Spiritual accounting: Jesus is not merely telling His disciples to suffer; He is asking them to consider what truly yields lasting gain.  Though giving up one’s life for the gospel may appear to be a loss in the present, it is in fact the path to the greatest profit—salvation.

 

·        The use of commercial imagery

 

This passage uses terms commonly found in accounting ledgers, such as “gain” (kerdainō), “lose” (apollymi), and “suffer loss” (zēmioō).  Ōpheleitai is the sharp question that asks, “What is the final profit left after the transaction?”

 

Ultimately, this saying contains the spiritual principle expressed by Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” (Internet).

 

-           It urges believers to have the courage to die for Jesus and for the gospel. Ultimately, it calls for the decisive commitment required of a disciple—self-denial, taking up one’s cross, and even laying down one’s life in order to follow Jesus (Matthew 10:38; Luke 9:23) (internet).

 

(ii)             I would like to share just two portions from an article I wrote on December 12, 2010, under the title “Jim Elliot”:

 

·        “10. God’s work must be done at the cost of one’s life.”

 

Jim Elliot and four other missionary companions were eventually killed on January 8, 1956, by about ten Waodani warriors.  Elliot and the other four missionaries were armed with guns, but they did not use them.  It is said that the reason was that they carried guns to protect themselves from wild animals in the jungle, not to protect themselves from the dangerous Waodani Indians.  They were killed while trying to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, they were martyred.

 

God’s work must be done at the cost of one’s life.  God staked the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, in order to save us, and through Him we received salvation. Therefore, we too must stake our lives for God’s work.  Those who die while risking their lives to proclaim the gospel are truly beautiful.  I firmly believe that God regards the death of His saints as precious (Ps. 116:15).