All Series > Seven Chiefly Vices > Part 8
In Death, Find Life
Teaching of Virtue
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In Death, Find Life
Any engaged thought, word, or deed against the will of God—is sin.
Scripture warns, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), for vice and sin, if unresisted and unrepented, are like deadly poisons that slowly darken one’s intellect, weaken one’s will, and disorder one’s passions—all while attempting to destroy one’s faith and steal one’s soul. So, be on guard; repeated sin becomes habit, habitual sin becomes vice, vice becomes your master, and you become its slave.
The way of freedom is the way of virtue. Just as the seven chiefly vices (rooted in pride, ordered to the will of self) lead to death, the seven chiefly virtues (rooted in faith, ordered to the will of God) lead to life.
Jesus said, “those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Affirming—
In death to self, find life in Christ.
Surrender your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Understanding, it’s a process; whereby, you must constantly be shedding your old self and putting on your new self, denying who the world wills you to be and embracing who God wills you to be, weeding out vice and weaving in virtue.
The teachings of virtue to come, will enlighten your intellect, strengthen your will, and order your passions to the will of God—so through the unfolding of life, you increasingly bring your will in union with God’s will, walk in the Spirit (guided by love), and seek to glorify the Lord in all you do.
Scroll down for the related scriptures, quotes, and lesson plan associated with this teaching.
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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 (NRSVCE)
“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 (NRSVCE)
“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 (GNTD)
“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 (NRSVCE)
“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)
“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 (NRSVCE)
"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 (NRSVCE)
“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 (NRSVCE)
“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.” — Romans 8:5-6 (GNT)
“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)
“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 (NRSVCE)
“In the path of righteousness there is life, in walking its path there is no death.” — Proverbs 12:28 (NRSVCE)
“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
"The more empty of self we are, the more He can fill us." — 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
“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
“Taking up my 'cross' means a life voluntarily surrendered to God.” — A. W. Pink
“Conversion is a complete surrender to Jesus. It's a willingness to do what he wants you to do.” — Billy Sunday
“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
“The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart.” — Alan Redpath
“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
Lesson Plan
For your family, small group, or personal reflection.
STEP 1: Introduction
Example: "I'm going to play a short video on the topic of finding life in death. After the video, I have some questions to gather your thoughts and get the discussion started. We’ll then wrap up with a closing prayer."
STEP 2: Watch Video (or listen)
Watch (or listen to) the video of the teaching (cast to your TV via YouTube). If time allows, also read the teaching, related Scriptures, and related quotes.
STEP 3: Discussion / Reflection
- What do you think it means to find life in death? (please explain)
- In what ways do the seven chiefly vices (rooted in pride, ordered to the will of self) lead to death?
- In what ways do the seven chiefly virtues (rooted in faith, ordered to the will of God) lead to life?
- What are some examples in your life where you can better surrender your life to the will of God (constantly shedding your old self and putting on your new self, denying who the world wills you to be and embracing who God wills you to be, weeding out vice and weaving in virtue)?
- Did any of the related Scriptures or quotes stand out to you (please elaborate)?
- Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
STEP 4: Wrap Up & Closing Prayer
Summarize and wrap up the discussion. Then, conclude with a sincere and humble prayer from the heart.
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