The Fruit Of Death

There is a spiritual principle that permeates the natural and spiritual realm. It states that life comes out of death. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24) The plant cannot come forth to bear its fruit until the seed first dies and is buried in the ground. Out of this death (so to speak) comes forth the new life of the plant, hence fruit.

The very resurrection power that brought Jesus up from the grave is the power that gives eternal life to you and me. But Jesus first had to lay down His own life, and then be raised to life in order to make resurrection life available to us. We must die to our old life in order for the life of Jesus to bring eternal life to us! Thank God, the work of the cross is finished, and we are alive in Jesus Christ!

The Apostle Paul said that we are, "...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:10) This is the aspect of death producing life I want to discuss in this post. This is the application of death producing life that is the most lacking in the body of Christ today. Paul further said, "For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you." (2 Corinthians 4:11-12) What an amazing concept! We die, so others can live. We allow death to work in us, so the life of Jesus can work in others. This is a crucial principle that seems to be ignored in the body of Christ today.

So what does this death working in the believer look like? I think it is quite interesting. Here's how Paul describes it. "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed." We're not crushed, because the life of Jesus is exuding from us impacting others. Paul continues, "We are perplexed, but not despairing. We're not despairing, because the life of Jesus is flowing from us, infecting others. "We are persecuted, but not forsaken." We're not forsaken, because Jesus said, "I will never leave nor forsake you". Paul also said, "We are struck down, but not destroyed." We're not destroyed, because the life of Jesus is constantly imparted to change the lives of others. How can such a yielded vessel ever be destroyed when it is a conduit for the life of Jesus flowing to others? It can't!

According to Paul, we die for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus would be manifested in our mortal flesh. It's all about dying for His sake, so that His life is manifested in us, right here on planet earth!

We must live the crucified life in order to manifest the life of Jesus in our lives, and to others. The crucified life starts by surrendering one's entire life to Jesus. It continues with a daily commitment to serve Him at all costs. As we lay our lives before Him, His life is manifested in us, not simply for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. This is a crucial truth we followers of Jesus must understand. It is less about us, and even more about others. Why? Because Jesus didn't die just for you (or me). He also died for every human being that has ever lived, is living, or will live on this planet of ours.

Jesus died and rose so that eternal life would be manifested in His own body. Again, that same eternal life is manifested in our own body as we lay down our lives for Him, and for others. It is His life (not ours) that draws others to Him through us.

I will close with some key verses that substantiate this incredible spiritual principle.

(Galatians 2:20), "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

(Philippians 2:3-4), "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

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

(Romans 8:36), "Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

(2 Corinthians 4:12), "So death works in us, but life in you."