Discipleship and Self? Denial

A. Matt. 16:24, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Self?denial is a difficult
discipline. But it is one of life's most important virtues. If we would be serious about
becoming "disciples of Jesus" we must learn to deny ourselves, take up our crosses,
and follow Christ.
But, self?denial is very difficult. Why? Because it goes against the grain of the society and culture in which we live. Our social environment is increasingly dominated by self?affirmation rather than self?denial. This ethic comes through loud and clear in the lyrics of our popular music. For example, one of today’s most powerful hit songs says, "You've got to do what you've got to do." Another song, says, "I did it my way.”
What is wrong with this philosophy? It is certainly true that when tough personal decisions have to be made, we must have the courage to act on our own
convictions. When we analyzed a decision from every angle and consider the advice of others, the time comes when we have to make up our own minds.
But Integrity requires that we do what we believe is right, even if this conflicts
with the collective judgment of everybody we know.
But today’s philosophy, of self?affirmation, advocates far more than the simple following of the conscience. When people, in our society say, "You've got to do what you've got to do," What they really mean is, “You do whatever we want to do.” One of the scariest statements I have ever heard illustrates this ethic: “It feels so good at this point in my life finally to have the courage to do what I want to do and not what anybody else says I ought to do." That statement sums up the motto of culture in which we live. Stated simply and honestly it means, “My wants come before my should’s---every time.”
For this kind of "self?actualized" person, it’s almost impossible to learn self?denial. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for this kind of person to yield to God when what they want is on a collision course with God’s standards of what is right.
1. But self?denial is what we must learn if we want salvation. Somehow we must recover the old?fashioned virtue of sacrifice ?-? the willingness to let go of everything except that which most greatly glorifies God. Our biggest problem is summed up in the words of Oswald Chambers: “We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow.”
2. Acts 20:32.

Spur - 02/26/03 pm