Matthew 16:24 ESV
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Jesus is quite clear here. IF - anyone desires (wants) to come after me.
There is a "wanting" - and a specific wanting.
Oh, how I remember the times I wanted - really wanted to go after Him. Oh, how I wanted to live for Him and love for Him - indeed to live as simply as possible so I might not be encumbered as I sought to go after Him.
Ah, there have been many such times. They came and when and my walk was up and down (mostly down).
At this late stage of my life, I have to wonder why and in wondering I have sought an answer. The answer was embarrassingly simple once I found it. And it was embarrassing once I found it.
There is a plain and main process we can see and make use of in fulfilling our desire to go after Him. It's not a process that ends - actually it's more like a "loop" command in old DOS. The plain and main of it is that we begin and keep doing the same old thing over and over and over.
This "loop" is so simple that it puts all the "how to follow Jesus" books and tapes and seminars to shame. I put me to shame. Please understand that this "loop" is not easy and it can be very very tedious but it's simplicity along with the promises of God to fulfill in us what He has started makes it an exciting and hopeful "loop."
Step one: "let him (or her) deny himself."
Ok - there we go! --Yes In know all about the calling and claiming that God does in and upon us - but that's where the "desire" comes from.
We hear the Word and the "gospel power" is unleashed, the Spirit works in us and we really really want to go after Jesus. Ok - job #1 - deny your self.
Really, go ahead, do it!! Huh? Ahhhhh, there's the rub. Anyone out there ever been taught to deny their self? Quit sinning - oh yeas we were told that. Pray and read the Bible - yep. but denying my self? Oops---
I find it very interesting and quite distressing that so many so-called and self-proclaimed "answer men and women" have written so much which actually focuses our attention on the self. Self-worth, self-esteem.... Being who YOU are in Jesus. Claiming His promises for YOU. Oh yeah - we have a lot of real helpful anti-christs out there keeping our eyes, hearts and minds OFF of step number 1.
Deny - your - self.
Hey - I'm not picking on you!! Your getting to suffer this because I did ;-}}}}.
Nobody ever taught me I needed to deny me. No one ever helped me see how to live with Jesus coming before me, my, mine and I. I am minded of the Monopoly card - "Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass Go and so not collect $200."
A.W. Pink says the first step is the, "denying of self itself."
Here's just a smattering of what Pink means:
- abandoning my own righteousness
- refusing to rest on my own wisdom
- repudiating my self
- ceasing to consider my comfort, pleasure, ease, benefits, aggrandizement
Look at Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Catch that - "present your bodies as a living sacrifice," thing? Folks - in most pagan cultures once your were tapped to be a sacrifice it was really all over. Even in Jesus' day, once you took your lamb or birds etc. and presented it for sacrifice - it was all over for the bird/lamb.
Offering your self for sacrifice means that all the "me" stops. There is no "me." There are no plans, desires, want, wishes, etc. You are offering yourself for death.
Plain - main and tough - huh?
Paul gets really tough on this:
Romans 8:13 ESV
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
My "flesh" in not some bogaboo that lives in me. My "flesh" is my self - my nature has changed in Christ but my self (flesh) is well versed in taking care of itself and quite
sneaky at getting its way/
Also, and if you don't agree then ok, but for me the "deeds of the body," are not limited to my eyes, hands, feet, etc - but include my thoughts, speculations, - in short my brain and heart where all the bad stuff comes from. It is my "me" thoughts and affection I have to deny - to fight - and with His power, defeat.
But nobody told me this when I was in the first exciting days of my faith. And to be honest, no one told me about it (clearly) since.
The good news is that it's not too late for me to learn. The cost will be very uncomfortable but we are not amphibians - we either live in and for His kingdom or we live in and for the other.
This means war - and don't think that it's just a war within. As you learn and begin to deny self you will make others very uncomfortable. They will begin to see you as a fanatic, some kind of religious nut.
"Let him deny himself." Go for it! Need resources? Write me and I'll send you some titles that will help.
God bless you all!!
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