From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Principle of Self-denial – Part 1

Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”     (Matthew 16:24)

To the apostles, Jesus words “come after Me” reminded them of when they had left all to travel with Him. To unbelievers who heard Him, the words referred to initially coming to Him for salvation. And to believers, including the apostles, the reminder was for a life of daily obedience to Christ.

Any person not willing to “deny himself” cannot be Jesus’ disciple. “Deny” means to completely disown or utterly separate yourself from someone. Christians must have that kind of denial toward themselves. They must utterly disown and refuse to acknowledge their old, sinful selves and refuse any companionship with the former self.

Jesus is not referring to the believer’s identity as a distinct individual and unique child of God (Luke 10:20). Rather, here He refers to the natural, sinful, rebellious, unredeemed self that characterizes every sinner and can temporarily even re-assert control over a believer. It has often been called the flesh, “the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit” (Ephesians 4:22). To exercise self-denial here is to confess with Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). Such a confession results in a genuine belief that you have nothing in your humanness (flesh) to commend you to God, no merit to offer apart from trust in the saving work of Christ.

Ask Yourself:
How convinced have you become that “nothing good” comes out of following your basic desires, that if there is to be any holiness coming forth from your life, it will be only by the grace and empowerment of the Lord Jesus? What has happened lately to remind you of this reality?