Loser for Jesus
- For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:35)
By all the standards of the world, Jesus was the biggest loser that ever lived. Therefore, anyone who chooses to become a Christian will also be a loser. If you decide to become a disciple of Jesus, God will make you a loser in this world so that you might become a winner in heaven. You have a clear choice: become a loser for Jesus or perish with the world in hell. The Greek word for “lose”
in Mark 8:35 is apollumi, which means to destroy fully, lose, and perish. Unless your life is destroyed for Jesus and the gospel, you are not a Christian. You cannot be saved or enter heaven.
True Christians do not gain influence, wealth, or comfort. They do not expand their worldly territory. Instead, they pick up a cross that crucifies them to the world. Consider Jesus for a moment. He was truly the ultimate loser. He lost…
- His home, money, time, and comfort.
- His opinions, judgements, tastes, and wants.
- His reputation, justice, education, and health.
- His will, glory, words, and life.
First John 2:6 reminds us that “whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” The following Scripture also reinforces the fact that our attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ, who became “nothing.”
- Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5–8)
Jesus said we must become a slave to all men, because He too made Himself nothing and became a servant.
And if there is anyone the world calls a loser, it is a person who sets out to make himself nothing. No one teaches their children to go through school so they can be a slave to others. No one wants to grow up to do the will of someone else. We teach and encourage every child to “be something” when they grow up. Even the church urges people to become winners in the world, because by doing so they will somehow have influence for Jesus. But the only way a person can have true influence for Christ is to make themselves losers for Jesus, and become the slave of everyone.
- …and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10:44)
For example, God called me to drop out of college only a short time before I was due to graduate. My parents thought I was a loser and my campus minister thought I threw my life away. I had no idea what God wanted to do with my life, but I knew I had to obey Him. In the eyes of the world, including those in my church, I became a real loser. Of course, God doesn’t call everyone to drop out of college. But He does require all Christians to be losers to the point that most people will not even want to be around them. Indeed, the only people that will want to spend time with them are other losers for Jesus. Are you praying for God to make you a loser?
So Negative
“It is so negative!” is the response of many Christians after seeing the Loser for Jesus® logo. In our sinful flesh we all want to gain the world and, when we come face to face with the call of Jesus to become losers, many of us feel offended. Though such people might attempt to change the meaning of what Jesus said, this truth is the offensive message of the cross that all true saints have preached and lived throughout history.
People today think this is such a negative message because they feel ashamed of the words of Jesus. They have never tasted the freedom and joy of being a loser for Jesus, so they are appalled at the mere idea that Jesus commanded all men to become losers for Him. After all, every Christian should rejoice and feel proud to wear the words of Jesus not just on a t-shirt, but upon their very lives. But because so many Christians today are ashamed of the words of Jesus, they naturally deny them. There- fore, Jesus will be ashamed of them when He comes back with His Father’s glory.
- If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)
Make no mistake. Those who remain ashamed of
Jesus’ words, which call all men to lose their lives for Him, will find Jesus ashamed of them.
Scum
If you are not willing to become scum, don’t even think about becoming a Christian. Do not even let it cross your mind to accept the salvation of Jesus Christ. Choose another religion and go your merry way.
Paul’s life reflected the glory of Jesus when he declared that he had become the “scum” of the earth. Are you willing to become scum in the eyes of the majority of people in your community? Are you willing to be hated by the world?
- …when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. (1 Corinthians 4:13)
Consider the meaning of the word “scum.” It means refuse, a low, vile, or worthless person or group of people. The world holds so much influence today that, if you really start to follow the Holy Spirit, even most of the church will consider you scum. They will start avoiding you and giving you all kinds of labels. The church has become so corrupted by the world that they will think you have been brainwashed and have joined some kind of cult. If you honestly listen to and follow the Holy Spirit, rest assured
that you will be persecuted, not just by the world, but also by the church.
Prepare to Lose All
The end is coming, and you need to prepare to lose everything. Christians—at least, true Christians—will not be winners in the last days. They will have everything taken from them, including their lives. As the anti-Christ appears, one of two things will happen to true saints.
- If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. (Revelation 13:10)
Scripture tells you the facts, plain and simple. You will not win. You will lose. But only in losing will you win in the end with Jesus. What does it mean to “lose your life” for Jesus? Let the following questions challenge you:
- Am I losing my plans, desires, and belongings for Jesus?
- Am I losing my career goals, education, and money for Jesus?
- Am I losing my style of music, fun, and pleasures for Jesus?
- Am I losing my hopes, dreams, and personality for Jesus?
Everything of this world must be surrendered and lost for Jesus. For this reason, Jesus warned us to remember Lot’s wife. John tells us not to love anything in this world. Indeed, Jesus tells us to both hate and despise money—something which will definitely cause the world to call you a loser!
Fish or Loser
Have you seen the fish symbol on clothing, Bible covers, and all sorts of Christian trinkets? Isn’t it cute? Of course, that’s the problem. The fish has become an ac- ceptable and fashionable symbol for anyone who claims to be a Christian. Since the church removes the offense of the cross, no one’s flesh struggles with displaying it. Indeed, you can find the fish symbol on the back of cars that Jesus would never drive or want anyone to buy! It has lost all real meaning. To the world, it merely reflects a certain viewpoint on social issues. The early Christians were driven underground because of persecution and were such losers that some even lived in holes in the ground. So, they developed a way to identify each other with a secret symbol. They chose the fish, referring to the idea that they were fishers of men.
The fish was not a celebrated or popular symbol at the time. Only as the church compromised with the world did it become a marketable item. As God’s words became
a commodity that each man buys to fit his own opinion, so the fish symbol becomes a sign with no real meaning. So many people today preach and live an outward (cir- cumcision) kind of gospel that the offense of the cross is abolished.
- Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. (Galatians 5:11)
The church may preach about Jesus and the cross, but it is a watered-down, comfortable cross that bears little resemblance to Scripture. The offensive cross that Jesus taught and lived has been fully rejected. It is a false Jesus and a false gospel that does not require the crucifixion of one’s very self and life, or a complete break with the ways of the world. For instance, just take a look at what most churches call Christian music today!⁶ This mire of sin and whitewash demands a new symbol that will help weed out the true Christian from the hypocrite.
Endnotes
- Mark 13:13
- 1 Timothy 3:12
- Luke 17:32
- 1 John 2:15
- Matthew 6:24
- Free tract entitled “What Is Acceptable Music?”
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Ecclesiastes 7:25
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