Verse 39
He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
This verse emphatically states the law of true spiritual living. Note the qualification, "for my sake." Whatever good one does, or whatever sacrifice is made, if such is not undertaken for the glory of Christ, it may not claim the reward promised here.
Practically all the Ante-Nicene writers hail this verse as the sacred talisman of the martyrs who approached the flame, or the wild beasts, or the burning sands, with this verse in their hearts and on their lips. This blessed meaning of these holy words is freely allowed; but there is a message here, not merely for martyrs but for every member of God's family in every generation. That person who gives his life without reservation in the pursuit of God's will is also losing his life in the sense of this verse. To submerge one's own life and will in those of Christ, so that he may say with Paul, "It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20), is to lose one's life, and also to find it. This is the great antidote for selfishness.
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