Self Denial (Matthew 16:24)
This is lent season where every Christian is called upon to spend time in
repentance and self examination. Self denial is a spiritual discipline that Jesus taught his disciples. Denying yourself is an essential part of the Christian life.
Jesus called upon those who wish to be His followers to reject the natural
human inclination toward selfishness. The Lord Himself exemplified self-denial John 13:1-7. He was supposed to be the king served by His disciples but instead He let go His glory and served the disciples. In this season we are called upon to let go those things that seem important in our lives for the sake of kingdom values if we truly want to model Christ.
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines self-denial as “the willingness to deny oneself possessions or status, in order to grow in holiness and commitment to God.” The words Jesus used in the original language for “deny yourself” were strong terms similar in meaning to Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7–8: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” The purpose of self-denial is counting as “loss” all earthly gain and to imitate Jesus’ humility, righteousness holiness and obedience to God the Father. He did only that which was pleasing to his father. We should exist only for the glory of God.
Dietrich Bonheoffer helps us understand the meaning of self-denial: “When
Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” A follower of Jesus must be
prepared to die if death is where the path of discipleship leads: emphasis is
made by Paul in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Issues of anger and lack of forgiveness have persisted among believers. From the moment of our new birth into Jesus Christ, self-denial becomes a daily exercise for the rest of this life on earth (1 Peter 4:1–2). With the Holy Spirit now indwelling us, we are thrust into a conflict between the divine Spirit of God and the carnal self. Paul describes this ongoing struggle in Romans 7:14–25. Only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit can we learn to deny self: “For the grace of God has appeared t hat offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled…Titus 2:11-13. May God bless you as you go through
the lent season.
The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye
PROVOST