By Dave L. / Vancouver, USA
“And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].
For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]?” Mark 8:34-36 Amplified Bible
As a newly born-again Christian we must detach from things of the world…the dying of the old and the born-again of the new. It is a behavioral act that not only shows God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior that we are faithfully committed to him, it also is a public display to the powerful in a supernatural spiritual world – we are saying to the universe that we have become a child of God through Jesus Christ our Savior who took our sins: “…nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them.” Colossians 2:14,15
This is the first visible sign that we have become a chosen child of God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ his only begotten son… “God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” I Corinthians 1:27
As Christians, we ‘physically’ live in Satan’s world, a very evil world of visual delusions and fantasies. In this world we need to be resistant and realize there is no fairness for the believer.
Jesus said: “resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.” Matthew 6:39, 40.
The true walk of salvation requires obedience and discipline to leave the life of being a sinner living in sin! Yes, it is true, we are saved by faith and God’s grace – but we then need to behave (obey) in a manner that exemplifies a humble spirit seeking to glorify God. We need to be constantly proving our faith as Peter explains here:
Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
[Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are being guarded (garrisoned) by God’s power through [your] faith [till you fully inherit that final] salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time.
[You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations,
So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is revealed.
Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.
[At the same time] you receive the result (outcome, consummation) of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1:3-9 Amplified Bible
For many Christians in America their way of life is a strong delusion. Jesus did not come to earth asking them to deny themselves only to bless them with comforts and riches all the while throughout the world since the time of Christ, Christians have lived with or the threat of persecution. When we surrendered to Christ we no longer continued to be entitled to anything of this evil world! Jesus is not of this world nor should we be as it contradicts the command Jesus gave to us to deny our selves and resist evil.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is then seen through our behavior to willingly trust and obey God, for there’s no other way. The world sees in us a difference; by our obedient behavior they see us glorifying God and Satan hates this truth!
Even Jesus himself, in person preaching this message saw people walk away.
As Jesus was explaining to the multitude and disciples what a sacrifice and transition this would be for those who not only believe but also chose to follow, they realized just how hard and difficult such behavior would be. As Jesus spoke, the disciples watch as many who had gathered were turning and walking away; so, one disciple asked: Who then can be saved?
Jesus said: “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
This narrow road that leads to this small gate in ‘Satan’s world’ makes following Jesus footsteps, which is our trust and obedience, a journey that will not be fair or friendly to navigate and will most often be, quite sufferable. Please understand this most important revelation – if so, few find it (not the road but the gate) there has to be much more to salvation then a ‘one-time for all times’ prayer of conversion; salvation demands obedient behavior. Anyone can believe but without obedience to the behavioral commandments of our Lord, there can be no salvation. Salvation comes from a simultaneous desire to surrender and submit to willingly obey.
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Regarding a “few” in I Peter 3:20 we read: “…when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved…”
Peter reflects back on the days of Noah and is clearly referencing just how small a number of people few may represent as it relates to salvation. Both Jesus and Peter are using the word few in relationship to people that are saved! The number “8” represented the few. Now, whether Peter is being literal or figurative, it certainly should get your attention.
Exposing the Truth about Self Denial
One of Satan’s playbooks: “The Naked Communist” by Cleon Skousen, goal #27 “Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion, Discredit the Bible” 1958
TRUE SELF DENIAL HAS BEEN DISCREDITED AND REPLACED!
Despite all the warnings to not be deceived, many Christian churches nonetheless ignore the true message of salvation. They have ignored the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34. The consequences today – self-denial does not exist in Christian conversions.
It seems, when life got tough, it took but a nudge from Satan for these Churches to disregard the meaning. Christ’s words have not changed, nor been nullified; rather, they are ignored. Many of Christendom believe that to deny one’s self is an outdated Puritanical practice. They have opted for a more comfortable, self-gratifying attitude from secularism: the well-balanced self-esteem.
The following comes from a secular expert on self-esteem, who writes from a worldly-minded perspective on the dangers of self-denial. And as a non-Christian, that’s certainly his right. But note as you read: This is precisely how Christian’s today live, just as he describes, and today’s professing Christians haven’t an iota of guilt about it.
“…there is nothing innately good about keeping yourself in poverty (holy or otherwise). You aren’t a better person for doing without things you truly enjoy, like a fine home, beautiful furnishings, comfortable clothes, and excellent health. There’s no evil in those things, and you deserve to have all of those that you desire, as long as that desire springs from a healthy, well balanced self-esteem.” – Charles Burke
It’s quite the nudge! Does that not sound like Serpent tempting Eve? (Genesis 3:1-6) Self-esteem is a favorable opinion of one’s self focused on self-centered respect. Let this penetrate your mind; realize that self-esteem can only be accomplished by a self-centered thought. It cannot, in no way – glorify God. You cannot glorify God while self-respecting yourself!
“…saith the Lord…are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts…” Isaiah 55:8. Jesus said: “Take no thought for your life…” Matthew 6:25
So you ask what then the definition of self-denial is as Jesus Christ intended the message to be. To answer that, let’s refer to an 1842 lecture from Professor Charles G Finney, a man God has used to preserve the integrity of Jesus Christ’s meaning of “deny himself”.
Professor Charles G. Finney: The denying of self is not for the sake of a greater good to self, but for the sake of doing ‘good’ to others. This is really denying self. Self-denial is a real sacrifice of self-interest. It implies if God’s glory is so preferred to our own happiness or convenience, that we deny ourselves for the sake of glorifying Him, it proves that our love to Him is supreme.
Self-denial also implies the joyful giving up of what we need, or what might contribute to our comfort, for the purpose of doing a greater good to others. It says; let no man think that he follows Christ, until he has renounced himself. It is the giving up of our own interest as the object of pursuit, and devoting ourselves to the glory of God, anything short of this but confirms selfishness.
Note on selfishness: Selfishness is entirely inconsistent with self-denial. They are exactly opposite states of mind and can no more co-exist than light and darkness can co-exist. This mistake is very extensively made in the Church; and I do not hesitate to say, that in just as far as it is made, it is a fundamental error. It is putting darkness for light, and sin for holiness; and I must confess, it is extremely difficult for me to understand how a mind that has ever truly exercised self-denial, could fall into so strange a mistake–how a man who has ever known what it was to deny himself, from disinterested benevolence, should ever afterwards suppose that self-denial implied selfishness–and that to deny one form of selfishness for the sake of gratifying another form could be self-denial.
To deny self from motives of disinterested (unbiased) benevolence is for the time being to obey God. It is to do your duty. In other words, it is to be in a state of entire conformity to the will of God. (Therefore, you cannot be in conformity to the world.) Nothing short of this is denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ. The fact that so few persons know what self-denial is, by their own experience, shows how few there are who exercise self-denial.
It is not sufficient then to practice occasional self-denial. Self must be set aside and crucified and denied daily and continually. Your happiness must consist in disinterested endeavors to make others happy, or you never can be saved.
I beg of you to understand this. Denying yourself daily, taking up your cross daily, and following Christ daily, are indispensable conditions of salvation. And the doing of this daily is as indispensable as doing it at all.
Observe, Christ does not say, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself occasionally; take up the cross occasionally; and occasionally, in seasons of special excitement and revival follow me; but the doing of these things daily is here expressly made an indispensable condition of salvation.
Let me impress this upon you, for it seems generally to be understood, that if persons go so far as now and then to practice what they call self-denial–now and then to take up some cross, and occasionally, in seasons of special revival, follow Christ–that these are the conditions of salvation, and about as much as can be expected of Christians in this world. Now mark, this common opinion is a fatal error.
The unalterable condition of salvation is, that these things shall be done daily–that this shall be the state of the mind, and the habitual course of life–that self-interest shall be rejected as the grand end of life–that self shall be daily denied, and that daily you shall bear the cross and follow Christ. – Professor Charles G. Finney
Those proclaiming Christianity in many of today’s churches have no sense of urgency; ignorant, they do not understand the consequences. You are not saved if you have never denied yourself! And these churches have failed miserably in preaching this message. Simply put, self-gratifying behavior is not an act of glorifying God, it requires putting self before God and one cannot be saved that puts them self before God.
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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (WNT)
The Self Denial Transition Takes Your Life into a New Way of Living
True Christians should know and acknowledge that Jesus revoked the “old” way of life: “I come to do thy will O God. He taketh away the first, [Jewish life before Christ] that He may establish the second…” [Christian life after Christ] “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way…” Hebrews 10:9, 19, 20.
Having boldness to enter into a new and living way! As Christians, we are different, our walk is a new way of life and living; it is a life that no longer conforms to this world. We boldly show the world we have become submissive and obedient Christian saints for Christ, and we do so by our behavior. Let’s note here: Most often, the word “works” is referring to “behavior”. Your “works” are shown through your “behavior”. Whatever you do in life as a job, a means to survive, it’s your “behavior” toward others while doing it that is your witness as a true Christian.
If we are to sincerely be followers of Jesus, we should thoroughly understand this meaning of the salvation conversion. The Bible emphasizes the seriousness of these commands to first deny self, and then take up your cross “before” we can truly follow and does so with these two stories:
(Matthew 19:16-21) The young rich man asked “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I might have eternal life?” – In verse 21, Jesus said: “…One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at the saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”
Only after he denies himself is he expected to come and take up his cross and follow Jesus. (Jesus could see that his heart was full of covetousness and the young man needed to let it go.)
Once again from Mark 8:34 “…Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Above, Matthew has described the self-denial process as “…go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor…” Verse 21 is a definition of the young man’s sin – “coveting”. To overcome he needed to deny himself.
The second story – In Acts 5:1-8; the story of Ananias and Sapphira, a believing couple that held back from the sale of their possessions. When they lied about it to Peter, they both dropped dead. Why?
If you read back in Acts 4:32 they included themselves with the multitude of believers: “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own…” They had already agreed to surrender everything, and this was after the Holy Ghost was in them! The consequence of their deceptive disobedience was death immediately after the Holy Ghost left them!
Ananias and Sapphira failed to obediently demonstrate their faith by their behavior. Like the young man, they too were unable to overcome their coveting. In both stories, they would not let go of things of the world! Unlike the young man who had not committed, Ananias and Sapphira both had the Holy Ghost within; nonetheless, lack of commitment left them both dead!
In Romans, Paul confirms this urgency for change in chapter 12, verses 1, 2: “I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye … be not conformed to this world…”
This is past tense; he acknowledges we are already in conformity; we’re conformed to this world! Why so important? The world belongs to Satan! It’s his world. Remember reading Matthew 4? Jesus was fasting in the wilderness when Satan took him to the highest peak – whose world was it? Satan said: “All these things will I give thee…” ‘All these’ things – meant: ‘every’ thing in the world belonged to Satan, it was his world and it still is! (Because King Jesus has allowed it.)
Paul in Romans 12 is repeating the message of Jesus; just as Jesus told the young man who was still conformed to this world to surrender his past lifestyle, possessions and then follow Him! Paul is telling us we must walk away from the conformity already in our life! Most importantly we must also understand, in doing so publically show’s God and all entities in the spiritual world that we are saved, and the spiritual world sees it in our ‘new’ behavior.
Remember, Jesus has said more than once: “I am not of this world” (John 8:23; 17:14 & 16) and with our conversion, nor are we anymore! It’s Satan’s world! Jesus and Paul have taught us that “All” Christians would suffer (take up his cross). This ‘suffering’ in your life includes the enacting of the separation from this world! We no longer should be worldly-minded and minding earthly things, we must be striving for a life of trust and obedience to God.
As Christians we must know – You cannot hide your inner thoughts from God; and if your surrender and submission is not 100% complete, there may be no salvation. As with Ananias and Sapphira, their ‘behavior’ to attempt deception proved their incomplete commitment to surrender and submit and lead to the loss of the Holy Ghost and then death.
This story is in the Bible for a reason! You must make a total commitment (100%) to surrender and be in submission to Jesus Christ in order to be saved and protected from demonic spirits! Consider this true account from Kurt Koch’s book Demonology Past and Present:
During the exorcism of a man named Pat, who they all knew to be a Christian, a demonic spirit was asked; “In the name of the Lord Jesus, tell us why have you possessed Pat?” One of fifty demonic spirits within him replied: “Because he did not surrender his life completely.” Our surrender must be 100% complete! Even demonic spirits know the truth! (James 2:19)
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” Philippians 2:5 NIV
Your attitude is seen and heard by the people of the world through your behavior. Paul further adds: “…become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…” Philippians 2:15. Without fault and to shine like stars is the result of obedient behavior that is then seen by all.
Is obedient behavior hard to do? Jesus said: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, thereshall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” John 12:25, 26. – So yes, it may be very hard, and we may suffer loses of a worldly life to be an obedient saint for our Lord Jesus Christ in this sinful world! Note: I think we can all agree to hate life is not an enjoyable experience and here again we have a pre-requisite to “follow me” as Jesus says: “If any man serve me, let him follow me” These are commands, not suggestions that we as true Christians aspire for a Christ-like walk that is selflessly seeking an unbiased benevolence each and every hour of each day. This is what will become the essence of our works and from what we will be judged.