JULY 11, 2024
“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto theLord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:7-8)
Paul writes that no one lives or dies to himself. Christians are not meant to exist in a vacuum. We cannot wall ourselves off from the Lord or other believers. Whatever we do, we belong to the Lord. No Christian lives to gratify his or her inclinations or appetites. It is our great aim to do the will of God, to subordinate all his desires to our Law and Gospel.
To live to ourselves is to make our greatest desire to become prosperous or honored and indulge in the comfort and pleasures of life. This is what worldly people aim for, and in nothing else do Christians differ more from the world than in this.
In other words, we should not think that our decision about if we are involved in disputed issues is only about us. The Lord is always involved because we are His. That means that only God has the right to judge those issues, but it also means nobody has the right to make decisions on those topics without considering the will of God. Living to ourselves is evidence that we are strangers to God. If the great motive of our lives is to gratify the flesh, it is evidence that we know nothing of the power of the Gospel, which teaches us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.
Everything in our lives is done and suffered by God’s will. In our conduct, property, trials, and even death, we are His. We can be disposed of as He pleases because, ultimately, no one dies to himself.
Nobody who is in Christ lives and dies to him or herself. Born again, saved Christians no longer exist to serve their agendas. We cannot claim the right to follow our path to our goals. Instead, Christ redeemed us, meaning that He paid for us. We have been bought with a price. Or, as Paul puts it here, we live to the Lord and, eventually, die to the Lord. Whether living or dead, the Lord owns us.
The fact that we live to the Lord means that our choices must be made for His honor and in service of His agenda, which includes what we eat or the special days we observe. More than that, it should consist of all the choices we make in this life.
We also die to the Lord. This likely means not only that we die in God’s perfect timing but also that we will continue to belong to the Lord after we die and enter eternity. We will ever and always belong to the Lord. Understanding that should impact how we view every choice we make.
Paul’s teaching in this chapter firmly commands that “Christian liberty” is not a license to do whatever we want; however, we want. Our choices and freedom should still be guided by submission to God.
As long as we live, we live to do His will and promote His glory. This is the grand purpose of the life of the Christian. Other people live to gratify themselves, but true Christians should do what the Lord requires to honor our Savior. In all conditions, we are His, bound to do His will.
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