The Apostle Paul was greatly used by God because he was a man who reckoned (counted or considered) himself dead.  In his own words he said: “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31).  As far as Paul was concerned he was dead to this world and the things of this world (Gal. 2:20, 6:14).  He lived only for Christ and to Christ (Luke 9:23).

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. “. Phil. 1:21.

I wanna die and let You give
Your life to me so I might live

And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairy tale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son, You’ve risen from the dead.

The lyrics of the song above are from the late Keith Green’s song titled “make my life a prayer to you.”  The first two lines in italics are my emphasis here, and they are so rooted in Scripture.  2 Cor.4:10 puts it this way:   

“We always carry around in our body the death of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ said if anyone would be His follower he must pick up his cross daily (Matt.16:24).  The cross is a symbol of utmost shame, humility, self-denial and death.  The human nature naturally is selfish, self-centered, and proud.  We are, therefore, required to die daily to our rights, self-will, attitudes of self- centredness, self-importance, our desires for self-recognition, self-promotion etc. 

Until we are willing and ready to die, the life of Christ cannot be manifested in our lives. Until self is dethroned Christ cannot reign in our hearts and lives.  We are required to die daily, that is, to put to death the works of the flesh in our members through self-denial, to yield and surrender our will to God daily – only then can the life of Christ be truly and fully manifested in our lives (Romans 8:13, Col. 3:5). To truly live daily, we must die daily.

The hymn writer, Frances Ridley Havergal(1836-1879), puts it thus:

Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,

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