“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26) – KJV.
One of the conditions of discipleship mentioned by the Lord Jesus Christ is self denial. It is the first thing we must do before taking up the cross and following the Lord. Though self denial at times may seem difficult, it is a great source of blessings. Every Christian should resolve from the very beginning to whole-heartedly deny himself in accordance with the terms of his calling.
To deny self is the very opposite of pleasing self. We deny ourselves to please the Lord. We give up self glory and recognition that Christ may entirely be enthroned in us. We give up the right to live by our own rules to the will of God, His glory, and the salvation of man overrides self interest and pleasure. Self involves crucifying self, the old man and its interest. Like John, we decrease, so that Jesus can increase.
We are to deny ourselves to meet the needs of our brethren. Joyfully we give up our rights and comforts even where these will place them at a better advantage over us. We should constantly remind ourselves of the command: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves… For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me: (Romans 15:1,3).
Self denial covers every aspect of our life. It was so with our Lord Jesus Christ and so it must be for anyone that longs to follow him perfectly. Self denial is not in relation to what is sinful and unlawful. No, those have been dealt with at the point of conversion. Self denial is in relationship to what is legitimate and lawful. It must be exercised in our eating, drinking, and dressing. Our desires and appetites must be brought under subjection.
We do not give the flesh all it craves for but the limit that is required so that the inward man may be properly nourished. We regulate our sleep, the way we spend our time and resources and our pattern of living so as not to lose sight of the purpose of our calling. The will of God becomes the first choice in everything we do. And any desire that conflicts with God’s will is immediately crucified. How wonderful it will be when every member of the church lives this glorious life of Christ daily in this present world. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).