Video Transcript: Lose your Life
So we're talking about gaining the positive attitude. And people would say, in general that to get a positive attitude, to getting great attitude, to get an uplifting attitude, uplifting things would happen to you and that you would do great in that you doing great and you being the winner, having a winner attitude is going to get you a great attitude. And yet, the Bible says, If you want a great attitude, you have to lose. Lose, mean, I'm not a winner, yes lose, and as to lose your own life. dying to yourself. Matthew 16: 25, whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever want but whoever loses his life for me, will find it. That seems so counter-intuitive. So Christ died for your sins. He rose from the dead. He's Victor. He's God. He's your Savior. And now you are called to lose your life. He lost his life. We read in Philippians 2, if there is any encouragement, in Christ, of any consolation of his love of any fellowship, in the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, in one mind, do nothing through rivalry or conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself. Each of you should be looking around to his own interest, but also to the interests of others. Having this in your mind, which is also in Christ Jesus, who existed in the form of God didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking a form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and being found in human form and humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest, gave him the name that's above every name, that the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and heaven under the earth. Those on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Lord, to the glory of God the Father, so, Jesus emptied himself, he lost his life. For you, for me, Hebrews 12, talks about how we fix our eyes on Jesus. And then it says, For the for Jesus for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame in his set at the right hand of God. That is, a way to have a great attitude is to lose your life. So, sin is a big factor in negativity. Colossians 3:5, put to death. therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil, desires, greed, which is idolatry. Now, there are many passages in the Bible, that talk about sin, and put it to that, put it on the cross. What are practical ways to do this well, as you walk with God talking, listening. We all know that sin drags us down. It's fascinating how sin works, it promises something. But in the end, it just brings us hurt and pain and destruction. The temptations of sin come to us and it's gonna offer us more, we're gonna find our life more, but instead, it gets us despair and brokenness. So, to mortify is a theological word to put to death. The sinful nature is a spiritual act, where the sins where evil thoughts, where selfishness is put at the cross of Jesus Christ. You know, for me, there is a certain that we have what's called officiant skills. And one of the skills that we help people is the skill of confession When sin comes that we confess, it's so serious. We know that we need to confess our sins, we hear about that in Scripture to confess them to each other
transparency with others, is a form of putting to death, the sinful nature, confessing to God, and to say, Lord, help deliver me, I don't want to walk in that path. And as a born again person, though, we still have that sinful nature. Every day, that nature can go less and less. One of the things I like about wearing the man of God bracelet is it reminds me, I am God's man. And those things of the flesh, put them to death. You know, I find one of the saddest examples of the work of the sinful nature is the restless wandering, it brings. Sin always creates a restless, wandering, looking for something better. Cain was looking for approval rather than trusting God, he was looking for something better, he wanted to beat out his brother Abel. And that whole story in Genesis 4 you can read about, but there's that one point where God says, you will be a restless wanderer on Earth. To find your life is to lose it. But if you keep your life and not surrender your life, you become a restless wanderer, in we all understand that. We all understand that's how sin works. It promises us something, we go down that trail, in the end, it does not deliver. So very practically putting to death the sinful nature. But also stay away from people who are trying to convince you to take your life back and join them they will approve that you keep your life like they do. Romans 1:32, although they knew God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only convened to do these very things, but they also approve those who practice them. Hang out with people that, like you are on the same journey of putting to death, the sinful nature, losing our lives. One more thing, it just seems like the tongue, your words, can convince yourself, self talk, to take back or to look at others as being more advantageous than you look at James 3:8,13, But no man contain the tongue and as a restlessness I work restless again, is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, who is wise and understanding among you, but him show it by his good life by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom, notice that word humility, to give up your life. So it's counter-intuitive, but spiritually freeing, when we surrender, when we put our sins at the cross, when we actively mortify that put to death, our sinful nature, and the opposite thing occurs, you become more positive, you become more inspiring. You become more of someone who people want to be around. Why? It's not because you're judgmental about them it's because you yourself are free of the effects of sin. You are moving away from them, your life moves into a new form of moderation. While you will still be struggling with your sinful nature. It doesn't control you. It's free. It makes for a great attitude.