1 Corinthians 15:31

"...I die daily"

Do Believers Need to Die Daily?

Paul’s personal statement, "I die daily" (1 Cor. 15:31) is somewhat enigmatic. Christians, perhaps with this verse in mind, might say, "I need to die to self and die to sin daily." The context of Paul’s statement, both in the verse that precedes and in the verse that follows, speaks of Paul being persecuted for the cause of Christ. He was constantly exposed to danger (1 Cor. 15:30) and he was under vicious attacks for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:32). So his expression, "I die daily" probably meant that he was exposed to death every day.

Different from this is the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, which is based on a finished work, never to be repeated. When Christ died, I died with Him; my death to sin being founded on Christ’s perfect, finished work at Calvary. I died to self and I died to sin, and this has already been accomplished. I do not need to die again and again, but I need to believe that this has been done: "Our old man [was] crucified with Him" (Rom. 6:6). "I am crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). I do not need to crucify myself daily but I need to count on the fact ("reckon") that this has been done. "For ye [died] and your life is [hidden] with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). I need to rest on that which God has already done.

There is something vitally important that I must do daily. I must believe what God has said about my co-crucifixion and I must count on these facts as being true. Daily I must reckon myself dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:11). Thank God, I have died to my old life (an accomplished fact) and I am a new creature in Him!

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