Death Is at Work in Us

“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.” 2 Cor. 4:10-12.

What is the work of death? Only one thing: to bring into death, to transport into the kingdom of the dead. Generally speaking, it takes every person, one after the other, down into death—into the death on the cross on Calvary. Yet the work of death in us is not only to bring us into a physical death once and for all, but also that more and more of our self-life is brought into this death.

This is the process of sanctification for which we are exhorted to strive. The words in the above passages of Scripture are very significant: “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” We need to keep this death close at hand at all times so that we can always commit everything of our self-life to death as soon as we notice the slightest indication of it, so that the life of Christ can be manifested in our mortal flesh. Because whoever loses his own life will thereby find the life of Christ.

This is how death works within us. It ravages and lays waste our self-life, which is a great advantage to the spirit, the mind, and life of Christ, which can thereby fill us more and more.