“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Jesus Christ

This is an updated post from 2021.

John 12:23-26 “ The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” – Jesus Christ

Jesus is not talking about farming here. He is talking about us. The grain of wheat that fall to the ground and dies is our self-life.  We let go of it, die to it. We forsake our own will and living deeply enough that it is described as hate.

We can then pursue our God with an all-consuming love. In doing so we gain the infinitely larger, grander, richer, fuller life of our God in us. We experience increasing transformation of all our living.

As Paul the apostle stated, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Here is the key to life as our God intends it.  It is loving our God more than life itself. It is the laying down our lives so the life of Christ can be lived is us. Our lives become the seed falling into the ground and dying.

Doing this makes it possible to experience all promises of our God. It unlocks the very life of God in us. Love, joy, peace, rest for our souls, and all the other promises of our God start to flow into us.

Our God grants all of this without measure to those who diligently seek Him above all self. The Bible promises this.  The saints who have pursued our God in this way have given us their testimony to this.  I have seen it as well. 

Unfortunately, most Christians today have little to no experience with this deep love for our God.  Few there are who know of the life of Christ lived in place of their own lives.

And this comes as no surprise. Few know this. Even fewer teach it. This consuming love for our God is largely absent from pulpits across North America. 

We must surrender our lives completely to the Spirit of Christ. We do this out of simple love and devotion. When we do, this life will start to flow into us. 

But how do we start? 

Here are a few practices I have adopted.  Upon waking each day, I turn to Him and start to tell Him I love Him more than life itself.  On one recent morning, I laid there and had that conversation with Him for nearly an hour.  It was a rich time of simply enjoying His presence. 

As my day goes on, I stop often to simply “call upon the name of the Lord.”  I will use the name “Jesus,” or simply “Lord.”  I speak His name softly and restate my love for Him, my surrender of all to Him. 

My daily prayer time is mostly expressing love and worship for my God. Part of my worship is fully surrendering to Him. Expressing gratitude for His many gifts and His presence in my life is central. Committing to obey Him in everything is included.

Love for our God. Surrender of all one’s living to Him. Gratitude in every circumstance. Committing to full and quick obedience. These are the keys to the life of a true disciple of Christ.  We must give our God first place in our hearts and minds, actions and choices.

As you start to pursue this love and surrender, you will notice their rapid growth. These choices will grow to become the central issues in your life each day.  Surrendering every aspect of your life to Him will be the natural response of love.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” – Jesus Christ, in Luke 9.

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