What Does 'Dying to Self' Mean? The Call to a Resurrected Life
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. ”
Our new birth in Christ is a glorious experience forever imprinted in our hearts and minds. We repent of our sinful life and enter the waters of baptism. We are buried in this water and emerge as new creatures in Christ. In Romans 6:4 Paul tells us, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Walking in this new life means we must change and learn to die to ourselves. But what does “dying to self” mean?
A Lesson from Nature
Many view death as the end of life and something to grieve. But remember, even though plants become dormant every fall, they emerge anew in spring! Their buds burst into breathtaking flowers of every color. An adult caterpillar forms a cocoon where its tissues break down and are rebuilt. It then emerges as a graceful, beautiful butterfly. Even our loved ones who sleep in Christ are later raised in glory. Dying to self is also an amazing transformative process. It is an experience we should desperately pursue. It must be a daily journey in which we learn to die to self and transform into what God desires.
So, What Does ‘Dying to Self’ Mean?
This death to self is a separation. We are to separate ourselves from sin and worldly desires and passions. The apostle Paul tells us to put our earthly nature to death. We are to have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, lying, or greed. He instructs us to “get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander and dirty language." We must strip off our sinful nature and evil deeds and become like our Creator. (Colossians 3:5).
Total Submission to Jesus
Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24). He was pointing out that the cross was an instrument of death. Taking up our cross means killing our old self.
This may mean assessing our friendships and getting some distance from those that might pull us back into our old sinful lifestyle. We might need to change our thoughts and words if they are not pleasing to God. We must pray about our goals and dreams, asking God to align them with his plans.
In other words, we must submit ourselves to God’s will. And this is not optional. Every day we must go to the cross as a repentant sinner. If we cling to our old sinful life, we will not fully experience the abundant spiritual life that Jesus wants for us. By submitting to his transformative power, we will lose our old life; but we will gain eternal life with God.
The Path to Transformation
Remember that no matter what lies in our past, God works all things together for good. He often asks us to use our faults and mistakes to help others in their walk with God. He is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
This journey will be different for each one of us. For many, God will dig deep into the hurt and pain of our past and root out any bitterness, anger or unforgiveness. And in every step of this journey, we become closer to our Creator and transform into a new creature in Christ. It is a marvelous process! He breaks the chains that have bound us, and he sets us free!
It Starts with An Invitation
Have you asked God to transform you? Praying the words of Psalm 139:23-24 can be helpful: “God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way—the path that brings me back to you.”
Celebrating New Life in Jesus
Every day we must strive to live in a way that is pleasing to Jesus. We must remain focused, especially in today’s world in which the darkness seems to grow daily. But the light of God, shining in each of us, overcomes the darkness! Worldly things will always compete for our attention, but, as the Psalmist said, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)
So, what does “dying to self” mean? It comes down to allowing God to transform our lives. We celebrate Resurrection Sunday tomorrow, and we are going to celebrate the new life that we have in Christ. Rejoice in this process of the old self falling away because “You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world.” (Colossians 2:20 NLT).