I DIE DAILY by John G. Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 31, 1877

“I DIE DAILY.”

By John G. Matteson

UNBELIEF goes before faith, the curse before the blessing, and death before life. Of the prodigal son it is written, “For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Luke 15. The Christians in Rome were once the servants of sin, but afterwards they became servants of righteousness. Rom. 6. Then they could share in that gift of God which is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul died through the law. Rom. 7:10. His spiritual eye was opened so that he could see the corruption of his own heart. Then he felt that he was under the curse of the law; for he had no Christ, no Saviour. But when he humbled himself before Jesus of Nazareth, whom he before had persecuted, and accepted him as his Lord and Saviour, he found that his load of sin was removed. Then he could say, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1. Paul died “through the law,” and was “crucified with Christ.” Gal. 2:19, 20. He humbled his proud heart, and bore willingly the reproach of Christ and of his cross. Then I—the old selfish and proud I—did not live any more, but Christ lived in him. Then he says, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20.

But although Paul thus once was converted, and once died through the law unto sin and to his old life in pride and self-righteousness, yet he did nevertheless afterwards die daily. “I protest [or testify] by your rejoicing [margin, our rejoicing, Danish, that rejoicing] which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Cor. 15:31. For the sake of Christ and the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection he fought with wild beasts at Ephesus. He stood every hour in jeopardy. He suffered reproach and persecution, chains and imprisonment, hunger and scourging. In all this he had an opportunity to humble himself daily. It was not enough that he humbled himself once. He had

to continue to humble himself before the Lord. It was not enough that he died once. He had to die daily. Without this he could not live every day in the faith of the Son of God who died for him.

Here we have a live picture of a true transformation from darkness to light, from death to life. Have we experienced such a conversion? Do we now live such a daily life in the Lord? Do we die daily? Oh! that we could understand how important this matter is. Satan and the world and the flesh try daily to renew our life in pride and selfishness. Many who profess to follow Christ have never felt their own wretched and doomed condition. And others who have felt it once have not learned with the apostle to die daily. Is not this necessary to our salvation? Need we not to humble ourselves so truly that we can endure to be reproved by others? Must we not as true followers of Jesus learn patiently to suffer wrong? Come, brethren, let us strive earnestly against our own proud and stubborn mind until we may learn to die daily. Then we can also live daily in the faith of the Son of God, who died for us.

JOHN G. MATTESON.