How to Deny Self
8/21 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 13; Romans 11; Jeremiah 50; Psalms 28-29
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8/21 Reading Portions: 1 Samuel 13; Romans 11; Jeremiah 50; Psalms 28-29
Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
GLORY
The Lord Jesus said,
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
This was the Lord’s requisite for true discipleship. Have you ever wondered what it meant to deny oneself? Many have wrongly equated the Lord’s command to “self-denial,” which is the act of refraining from indulging in personal desires or pleasures for the sake of a greater good, goal, purpose, or principal. No, this is not the definition of denying self. To understand what the Lord Jesus meant, we must ourselves look to the Lord Jesus for that answer. Jesus was the epitome of denying to Self. As perfect, sinless, and righteous Man, He came to live the holy and righteous life that you and I cannot possibly live, and He did so for our sakes. Then, paying the sin debt that you and I owe, a debt you and I cannot possibly pay, Jesus laid down His life for our sakes. It profited Jesus nothing to save us and impute His righteousness to us. For He is not only sinless, perfect Man, but He is also infinite and immutable God. Doing all that He had done did not make Him more perfect as a Man, nor more infinite and everlasting as God (though the latter seems almost ludicrous to have to say or write). When we deny self, it means all that we think, say, and do should be accomplished for the sake of Christ, not for ourselves. We are not trying to get anything from Him. Why? He has already given us everything by saving us and dwelling with us forever (Heb 13:5). Denying self is our loving response to His faithful and unfailing love for us, a love accomplished through Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and His promise to come again for us. Here’s the open secret on how to deny self. We do all for Christ’s glory, not ours or anyone else’s. We do so in love and godly fear, fearing in holy and reverent trembling that we may fail to give Christ the glory He richly deserves, because you and I still have the corruptions that dwell in our mortal flesh. Spurgeon’s Puritan Catechism states in the first article that the chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. And here’s the heavenly irony of it all— when we seek our own joy and good pleasure, it’s not denying self, and that joy is a façade that will not last; yet when we seek Christ’s glory forever (John 16:14), it is the most joyful employment of God’s creation because that joy is good, eternal, and a grace from God. Hallelujah! What a Savior!