All Series > Seven Chief Vices > Part 8

In Death, Find Life

(Series 4, Part 8, Teaching #32)

In Death, Find Life

Any thought, word, or deed that knowingly defies the will of God—is sin. And sin, when unresisted and unrepented, is deadly.

Scripture warns, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Not just physical death—but spiritual death; the slow decay of the soul. For every sin, however small it may seem, bends your life ever so slightly away from God. And if left unchecked, that bend becomes a break.

Vice darkens the intellect, weakens the will, and disorders the passions. It poisons your discernment, enslaves your desires, and attempts to silence the Spirit’s voice within you. Sin may begin as a whisper, a habit, a compromise—but it does not stay small. Repeated sin becomes habit. Habitual sin becomes vice. Vice becomes your master. And you, its slave.

But you were not made for slavery. You were made for freedom.

And the way of freedom is the way of virtue.

Just as the seven chief vices are rooted in pride and ordered to the will of self, the seven chief virtues are rooted in faith and ordered to the will of God. One leads to destruction. The other to life.

Jesus said, “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). In other words—

In death to self, you find life in Christ.

This is the great paradox of the Christian life: You must die to live. You must lay down your old self to become your true self. You must crucify the desires of the flesh to awaken the desires of the Spirit. “It is only by frequent deaths of ourselves and our self-centered desires that we can come to live more fully” (St. Mother Teresa).

So then—surrender. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Not in theory, but in truth. Not once, but daily. Not partially, but completely. "The more empty of self we are, the more He can fill us" (Ven. Fulton Sheen).

This is not a moment; it is a process. A lifelong pilgrimage. A daily crucifixion of the ego, a daily resurrection of the heart. It is the work of shedding who the world wants you to be—and putting on who God has created you to be. Of weeding out vice and weaving in virtue. Of decreasing, so that Christ may increase.

The road ahead is not easy. It is narrow. It is steep. But it is filled with grace. And it leads to the only kind of life worth living—one that glorifies God.

The teachings of virtue to come will guide your steps. They will enlighten your intellect, strengthen your will, and order your passions. They will train you to walk not by impulse, but by the grace. Not for your own glory, but for God’s. And in doing so, they will awaken your soul to the life you were created to live.

So take heart. The battle with sin is real, but so is the power of grace. And where sin once reigned, virtue can rise. Where death once ruled, life can flourish.

Let your old self die—not in despair, but in hope. For what you lose in self, you gain in Christ. And in Him, you will not only live—you will be made new.

Scroll down for the lesson plan and other related resources associated with this teaching.

Back to Series Start Next Series

Resources

Visual Resource

An illustration that briefly describes how, in death, one finds life.

Download Image

Horse and Chariot - Lesson Plan Thumb.png

Free Lesson Plan

Perfect for small groups, families, classrooms, or personal reflection.

Download Lesson Plan

Lesson for Kids

Great for teaching kids in a fun and gentle way (for ages 12 and under).

Download Lesson Plan

Related Scripture

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 (NRSVue)

“For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” — Matthew 16:25 (NRSVue)

“So Jesus said to those who believed in him, ‘If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ ‘We are the descendants of Abraham,’ they answered, ‘and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin.’” — ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬-‭34‬ (‭GNT‬‬)

“You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry). At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them. But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.” — Colossians 3:5,7-10 (GNT)

“Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NRSVue)

“If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free.” — John 8:36 (GNT)

“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants. To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God's law, and in fact they cannot obey it. Those who obey their human nature cannot please God.” — ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭(GNT)

“Jesus said to him, ‘Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.’” — ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭62‬ ‭(GNT‬)

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” ‭‭— Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭(NRSVue)‬‬

‬“And he said to them all, ‘If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! If you are ashamed of me and of my teaching, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God.’” — ‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭(GNT)‬‬

“The Lord says to the people of Israel, ‘Come to me, and you will live.’” — Amos 5:4 (GNT)

“The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.” — Ezekiel 18:20 (NRSVue)

"So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to—the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy." — Ephesians 4:22-24 (GNT)

“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” — 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NRSVue)

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NRSVue)

“But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself. As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.” — ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭(GNT)

“In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death.” ‭‭— Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ (‭NRSVue)

“If you had walked in God's ways, you would have lived in peace forever. Learn where understanding, strength, and insight are to be found. Then you will know where to find a long and full life, light to guide you, and peace.” — ‭‭Baruch‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭(GNT)

Related Quotes

“It is only by frequent deaths of ourselves and our self-centered desires that we can come to live more fully.” — St. Mother Teresa

"The more empty of self we are, the more He can fill us." — Ven. Fulton Sheen

“How can one be pleasing to God when one is inflated with pride and self-love under the pretense of striving for God's glory, while in fact one is seeking one's own glory?” — St. Mary Faustina Kowalska

“The process of time brings our transformation to fruition. Free yourself to live through the processes God puts you through because at the appointed time He will cause you to bear much fruit — all for purpose of glorifying Him in the world.” — LaShawnda Jones

“Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“In a real sense faith is total surrender to God.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The full acting out of the self's surrender to God therefore demands pain: this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey, in the absence, or in the teeth, of inclination.” — C. S. Lewis

“We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can—namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.” — St. Teresa of Avila

“Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds you abased and empty, His glory and power flow in.” — Andrew Murray

“Taking up my 'cross' means a life voluntarily surrendered to God.” — A. W. Pink

“It is wonderful what miracles God works in wills that are utterly surrendered to Him. He turns hard things into easy and bitter things into sweet. It is not that He puts easy things in the place of the hard, but He actually changes the hard thing into an easy one.” — Hannah Whitall Smith

“The man or woman who is wholly or joyously surrendered to Christ can't make a wrong choice—any choice will be the right one.” — A. W. Tozer

“You become stronger only when you become weaker. When you surrender your will to God, you discover the resources to do what God requires.” — Erwin Lutzer

“God always has and always will look for men and women who say to Him, 'I trust you so much, I'm all in. I want your way not mine. I am willing to live by faith!'” — Chip Ingram

“We must desire to be separated unto the Lord from the world and its evil system. We must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This is true positionally, but it can be made true in our spiritual life only as we yield to the Holy Spirit's control.” — Theodore Epp

“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.” — Oswald Chambers

“I ask You neither for health nor for sickness, for life nor for death; but that You may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for Your glory… You alone know what is expedient for me; You are the sovereign master, do with me according to Your will. Give to me, or take away from me, only conform my will to Yours.” — Blaise Pascal

Back to Series Start Next Series

Never miss a teaching — get all new teachings of virtue sent to your inbox free!

Subscribe now