“‘Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.’” (Luke 17:33)

The original Greek for “to save” used here is περιποιήσασθαι (peripoiēsasthai), which means: “to acquire, earn, purchase, make my own, preserve alive.” So it’s not just saving one’s life but it’s trying to purchase one’s life, earning one’s life, or making one’s life one’s own. Whoever tries to make his life his own will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. This is so prevalent in our society today; people are constantly told to “make it your own,” but Jesus warned that if you try to do this with your life, you will lose it. It’s not our way anymore when we meet Jesus—it’s His way.

The word for “lose” in both instances is ἀπολέσῃ (apolesē) which means: “to destroy fully, literally or figuratively.” So someone who tries to make his life his own will destroy his life literally, but whoever destroys his life figuratively will preserve it. The word for “preserve” here is ζωογονήσει (zōogonēsei), which means: “to rescue from death.” So, whoever tries to make his life his own will destroy his life (literally), but whoever destroys his life (figuratively) will be rescued from death. 

For context, Jesus is teaching about the end times. Some Pharisees had asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus then described what the world would be like in the end, when the Son of Man returns. He said that the world would be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, when people went about their daily business right up until the end. Then, right before verse 33, Jesus says, “Remember what happened to Lot’s wife!” Do you remember what happened to Lot’s wife?

“Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:24-26)

It’s exactly what Jesus describes in verse 33. Lot’s wife was clinging to her life and in doing so, she lost it. This is a warning from Jesus because He has called us out of Sodom and Gomorrah; He has called us out of sin and darkness and into redemption and light. Jesus’ warning for us to remember what happened to Lot’s wife is a warning to us to never turn back. If we try to cling to our lives, our own way of doing things, then we will destroy our lives, but if we surrender our lives over to Jesus, if we choose to be crucified with Christ, then we will be rescued from death. If you have put your faith and trust in Jesus, if you have confessed and repented of your sins, then walk in Jesus’ Way, letting go of your own way and never turning back. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife!

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-15)

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed