Jesus is risen and He desires that we too live our lives fully alive in Him. In Matt. 16:25, "Jesus said, For whoever wants to save their life will lost it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."
耶穌復活了，祂希望我們活出在祂裡面的復活生命。太16:25 ─耶穌說，「凡要救自己生命的，必喪掉生命；凡為我喪掉生命的，必得著生命。」
In other words, Jesus is saying, "You're better off dead." A life of following Jesus is built on a foundation of dying to self which leads to a life of joy and freedom. Why? Because dead people aren't stressed. Dead people don't worry. Dead people don't criticize, condemn or judge. Dead people are never jealous. Dying to self and sin makes me more alive in Christ!
換言之，耶穌是要我們也要同死。跟隨耶穌的生命建基於向自己死，以致能帶來喜樂自由的生命。為甚麼? 因為死人不會感覺痛苦壓力，死人也不會擔憂，死人更不會批評、定罪、論斷人。死人也不會嫉妒。向著自己與罪死，才能更多活出基督裡的生命。
When you are constantly trying to live for yourself, for self-promotion, self-importance, and self-interest, you will poison your life with joykilling, neurosis-producing, life confining prison. You will never experience the resurrection passion and power of Christ Jesus. Jesus lives; because he died for our sins, let us follow his joy and passion by daily dying to self.
當你持續努力為自己活、提升自我、重視自我肯定、自我利益，就會在損人無益的玩笑中、精神壓力中、劃地自牢而毒害自己的生命。你不會經歷復活的熱情與耶穌基督的大能。耶穌復活了，祂為我們的罪而死，讓我們跟隨祂，每天治死自我，活出祂的喜樂與愛。
by Rev. Jireh Lin 林以勒牧師