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Death as the Path to True Life
The path to experiencing God's full plan requires a fundamental death to self. Before God creates new life, it is always preceded by death - a principle traced from Eden through Scripture, culminating in Christ's death and resurrection.
Jesus taught this essential truth in John 12:23-24: "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit." The road to authentic life converges at the cross, where death precedes resurrection and new life.
The Reality of Spiritual Death
For believers, this death isn't physical but rather a daily dying to self, as Jesus taught in Matthew 16:24-25: "If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it."
Before God can fully use someone, He must own them completely. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come." This isn't about improvement but transformation through death and rebirth.
God's Simple Plan
God's will and plan is surprisingly straightforward, found in two key passages:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything… this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
- Micah 6:8 - "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God"
The Freedom of Death to Self
When believers truly die to self, they experience unprecedented freedom in Christ. As 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 explains, God chooses what is foolish to shame the wise, what is weak to shame the strong, and what is insignificant to bring to nothing what seems significant - all so no one may boast except in the Lord.
This death to self leads to what can be called the "Dead Person's Charter" (DPC) - living each day as a bonus day, free from self-promotion and worldly anxiety. The result is a simpler, often more "boring" life marked by:
- Loving your spouse
- Paying your bills
- Being a quiet, giving person
- Serving where possible
- Maintaining honest work ethics
- Walking out life with basic steadiness
True godliness often manifests in these simple, consistent actions rather than dramatic moments. As 1 Thessalonians 4:11 instructs: "Seek to lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your own hands."
The path to revival - whether personal, familial, or communal - begins with this death to self. Only then can believers experience the true freedom and joy of walking fully in God's plan, finding fulfillment not in platforms or recognition, but in simple faithfulness to Christ.