I Die Daily

When Peter makes his dedication of faith to Jesus in Mark 14, it seems pretty strong.

But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise. (verse 31)

I mean, of course he's a committed follower. He's ready to follow Jesus even if it means his own death. But do you know what, even though he said these things, I don't think he'd really died to self yet. The question was not if he had had to die - it's already a requirement. 

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24

As Jesus' disciple, Peter should already have died. But the problem is that you don't get to just die once. To follow Christ is to die daily. 

And so, what becomes of Peter's promise?

Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept. Mark 14:71-72

Peter wasn't ready. But even so, he knew what he'd done. He knew he'd turned his back on his Lord and Master. 

Kyle Idleman, pastor and author of Not A Fan, has written three words in his prayer closet. Here's the verse they come from:

 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 1 Corinthians 15:31

I. Die. Daily. 

When we look again at Peter, one of my favorite parts of his story is when Jesus comes back and redeems him (John 21:1-19). Three times, He asks Peter, "Do you love me?" and gives Peter the chance to say "yes", the same way he'd said "no" three times earlier. Jesus' death and resurrection have restored and redeemed all of us the same way. This renews and solidifies Peter's commitment to the gospel of Christ. 

So much so, that he does follow Jesus' to the death, and in fact a very painful one at that. Peter was ordered to be crucified, but he didn't want to die in the same position as his Master. So he was crucified upside down. I cannot even imagine what kind of painful death that must have been. But that's what it means to follow. 

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 2 Corinthians 5:14

We are motivated in our love of Christ that springs forth out of the love He shows unto us. We are called to die daily to all that makes us forget our lives our now completely in Him.