Luke 9:24 AMP
[24] For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].
Jesus had spent time with His disciples, making time out to teach them about the principles and practices of His kingdom. The rules of that kingdom are not precisely in line with the standards of the world, and that is why it is not given to everyone to understand and submit to that kingdom. The audience of the verse above is the first place to start:: Jesus would sometimes address the crowd directly, and leave it to figure out a response, but there were times, like the one above, where Jesus spoke plainly to His own disciples. If you really want to follow me, you have a fundamental decision to make, which has both earthly and eternal consequences.
Why is the crowd not the focus? When it comes to the eternal, the crowd is not able to define the right response. How do you submit to an authority you do not recognise, or a government whose scope and coverage do not extend to you? For those who know what is at stake, they know that to live to Christ is to die to self. It is very important that I know where I belong: part of the crowd, or one of His disciples. You cannot combine both extremes into the same life; both are opposite sides that can never align, no matter how hard you try to pull them together. Both have different masters as well as different eternal destinations
This is why it is not a simple decision to make or a destination you arrive at without careful planning. Yes, I may make plans, but I must keep them fluid enough for God to be able to change them at anytime to align with His will and plan for that particular moment. I must seek to please God in every way, which means that He must be able to catch and hold my attention so He can direct me in the way He wants me to go. The world has its schemes and devices to keep itself relevant, but it cannot sustain life on its own. This is where God comes in; He is the only One who can sustain life the right way. I must submit to Him if I want the kind of life He promises.
The warning in the verse above is clear: I can do nothing to preserve a life that is not mine in the first place. The One who formed and planned its coverage and impact is the One whose view counts. If I labour to save my own life by my own schemes, I will fail. However, if I hand it over to the original Creator, that is the safest place for it to be. Wherever He may lead, and whatever the experiences may be, I must remember that this life has an eternal destination. What I do now is preparation for that eternity. Surrender it now, so you do not have to suffer eternal damnation. It is all about choices; true gain lies in total and absolute surrender. God's time of favour is here.
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