Title self-denial/Matthew 16: 24
Content The most important thing for a Christian is self-denial.
As we say today, Jesus is teaching that anyone who wants to come after me must deny himself. If you do not deny yourself, you cannot follow the Lord. What could be more important than this?
In these words today, we will see the true form of faith.
All the religions of the world never try to deny themselves. This is because they are pursuing self-fulfillment and success through the object of faith.
However, only us Christians can conform themselves to God's will through self-denial.
Just like when Jesus said his last prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not mine, but Thy will be done".
The Lord is thoroughly carrying out the principle of self-denial, following the Father's will even in the face of death.
self-denial as the basis
Self-denial We need to know that this truth is fundamental and is the foundation stone of our faith.
When we build a house, if we don't have a strong foundation, it will easily collapse.
Just like buildings and bridges that are collapsing in our country these days.
The foundation of our faith is solidified through self-denial.
The faith of self-fulfillment, not self-denial, is quickly destroyed when difficulties come. It's like a rocky field.
A man in India beats his idol. When a passerby asked why, I prayed with all my heart morning and night for several years to bless this idol.
Gentlemen, our faith is as prone to foolishness as this man, and only through thorough self-denial can we avoid this error.
A faith that denies itself like Job does not stumble no matter what trials and tribulations come.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord took away; the Lord be glorified.” This is Job's confession of self-denial.
Self-denial is to live only for the glory of God, so disadvantages given to him, uncomfortable circumstances, sometimes material damage, and deterioration of health can never make him discouraged or complain.
So how strong will that house of faith be?
The foundation of his faith is not to be shaken by any turbulence in the world.
If we do not truly build the house of faith on this foundation, we will not be able to follow the Lord to the end.
Just as the disciples of Jesus, who could not stand firm in the truth of self-denial, forsook the Lord they loved and ran their own way, the child who did not deny himself will betray the Lord, will not be thankful, and will easily fall.
This concern is a phenomenon that is being seen by many Christians in this day and age.
Although the Lord commanded us to deny ourselves and follow Him, we do not know how many people do not come out denying themselves to Jesus, but rather satisfy their greed and fail to give up their selfishness.
Therefore, they are using Jesus as the one who fulfills their desire for achievement.
With the belief that if you pray to Jesus, you will hear anything, you are mistaken for a person who prays without ceasing even after trying hard in greedy prayer.
Even ignoring James' admonition that ye ask and do not find, that ye may spend it for lust.
Then, when the subject of prayer is not fulfilled, they often complain and complain.
Of course, we can ask and obtain anything from the Lord. But isn't it very important what kind of center it is?
In any case, isn't the image of believers trying to fulfill their worldly desires to succeed and succeed through Jesus Christ is the opposite of today's title, self-denial?
That is why there are so many nominal Christians on this earth, and there are many Christians who want to sit in splendid and high positions, but there are too few Christians who serve and set their hearts on low places.
We must keep in mind that believing in the Lord again means doing His will, and we must obey His Word.
What is self-denial?
Now let's think about what it's like to deny yourself specifically.
We can think of it in two main ways.
The first is the fact that our life itself, that is, the purpose or goal of life, must be completely revised to achieve the glory of the Lord and the will of the Lord.
This is very important, and it will be fundamental.
Second, in order to achieve the first item mentioned above, it is necessary to have a wife who completely kills oneself.
It can be seen that the main content of the self-denial that the Lord spoke of is actually a being called the self.
We must crucify this self.
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:3, “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” He said, “We were buried with him.
Also, Galatians 5:24 clearly shows what the content of self-denial is by saying that the people of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
Everyone! A being called me is a being made up of pride, blood, lust, selfishness, and pride.
that this should be denied.
In fact, it is by no means easy for us to be broken and to be buried on the cross.
What are the principles of people's lives?
After all, aren't they living beings led by their own desires, pride, hatred, and lust?
This is the nature of our lives and is innate.
These things must die.
It is truly impossible with human strength.
But in terms of the principle of our faith, how can the glory of the Lord be revealed only when I am alive?
How can I become light and salt unless I am denied?
It is said that the wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of the Lord, and if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out instead.
Also, if the right hand sins against the law, the right hand shall be cut off.
It is better to go to heaven without one right hand than to be thrown into the fire of hell with a dead body.
What do these words indicate?
The image of me who is not completely dead can be either the eyes or the hands. It can also be a mouth.
That undead thing is saying that it drowns me in death.
I sincerely hope that you can be sure of this precious secret.
Samson could not pluck out his eye, so he fell into Delilah, and Achan could not cut his hand and became a thief.
Ultimately, the success or failure of your life of faith depends on whether you deny yourself or not.
You, too, look back on your past life. What caused you to fall and be tempted! Isn't it because of himself who couldn't die and couldn't deny it?
Many people fall all the time because of blood. Pride, lewdness, envy, pride. These selves always drive ourselves into the abyss of failure.
Falling into the temptation to lust for fame or to be successful is ultimately pursuing yourself.
He who empties himself never places the value of success on the external conditions of this world.
It is possible to live without a name and without light, and it is possible for the left hand to not know what the right hand has done.
The Lord desires that all Christians on this earth can deny themselves and follow Him.
Is there any place for the Gospel to enter where we cannot empty ourselves and deny ourselves?
Just as at the time of the birth of the baby Jesus, every inn was full of guests and Jesus could not enter the room, so you cannot enter the hearts of those who have not emptied themselves.
Many people confess that they have accepted Christ.
Who can truly receive the Lord? The Lord dwells only with those who have emptied themselves and have prepared a place for the Lord to dwell in their hearts.
In other words, the Lord can only come into the heart that has become self-denial.
Just like the saying that new wine must be put in new bottles, the life of the Lord is sown and poured out only where self-denial takes place.
You cannot receive the Lord with doctrine and lips while you are alive.
It is the fact that we cannot receive the Lord with intellectual consent and emotional touch.
state of self-denial
Now let's take a look at the people who crucified themselves and came to the path of self-denial.
What are the facts that are being proved through the history of the Bible?
First, let's look at the disciples of the Lord.
Unable to deny themselves, they always followed the Lord, full of envy and pride.
Wherever they were together, that's why the strife didn't stop.
But when they became self-denying people, they served first, tried to share what was theirs, looked after each other, and never tried to be exalted. They no longer judged success on the outside.
They only wanted to be able to dedicate themselves to Christ.
The Apostle Paul, after denying himself, threw away everything in the world like excrement, wishing that only the Lord would be honored in his life.
Such is the state of self-denial.
What kind of disbelief can there be in the place of self-denial?
He lives only for the glory of the Lord. He doesn't care about who knows him or about worldly praise.
We are not proud or boastful even when we are prosperous, and we are not discouraged or complaining in the face of failure.
Because he no longer pursues his own worth in this world, he can turn his left cheek to the person who hits him on the right cheek, give him a robe to the person who asks for his underwear, and if he asks to accompany the duck, he will accompany him for two miles. that is possible.
Like John the Baptist, he will live with the belief and mindset that he must perish and the Lord must rise.
Self-denial, he is never tempted by the things of the world and put to the test. You can be tempted and you can feel it, but...
True peace flows like a river in the soul that has become self-denial.
It is a fact that none of us who have not denied ourselves can never taste and enjoy what heavenly peace is.
Many Christians find joy in their doctrinal and intellectual faith.
But how fleeting, what a selfish joy, what a megalomaniac joy! Indeed, it can be seen that the claim of joy or peace in the absence of thorough self-denial is self-deceptive and hypocritical.
Unshakable eternal joy and peace are found only in self-denial. Saints! How foolish it would be to say that you would not deny yourself and go after the Lord!
We should know that we can never enter the path of faith, nor can we even begin to believe.
Now let us listen again to the voice of the Lord to deny ourselves and move on the path of true faith. So, instead of being caught up in worldly values and desires, we must live a life that fulfills the Lord's will.
Let us go on the path of service, the path of sacrifice, by denying ourselves. In addition, we must cast away the blood, pride, pride, envy, and greed that God hates and that we can never show before God.
Therefore, we must have a pure heart worthy of the Lord's dwelling.
Please do your best to deny yourself so that your undeniable self is no longer an obstacle to your faith. End.