Thursday 15th April 2010
As Christians we are told in Matthew 16:24-25 that if we want to follow Christ, we need to take up the cross:
24) 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.
25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
To “deny” means to disown or disassociate oneself from someone or to dispute that an assertion or event is true. In the context of Matthew 16 to deny oneself here is a special case in which a person disassociates him or herself from their self-interests to serve a higher cause. Jesus uses the illustration of denial by asking his disciples to take up his cross and follow him. This is the ultimate denial.
I am aware that self denial requires the strength given by the Holy Spirit alone and not our own strength. It is important that we seek God’s face, study the Word of God in order to be able to truly take up the cross and follow Him.
God bless.
Mtaj, this subject is loaded. But I am convinced it the key to a successful walk with God. Thanks for sharing. We are on the same page.
I do believe this is only learned through experience. God takes us through or allows us to endure things that kills our flesh. I plan to do a series of blogs on this. (As a student still learning)