Articles
The Challenge: Self-Denial
According to the divinely-inspired writings of the apostle Paul, the grace of God teaches us “that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11, 12). In short, God’s grace is not a “live however you want” message, but one that demands self-denial. This certainly agrees with the demand of Jesus Himself, who once said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Self-denial is a beginning point of a life of faith in Jesus Christ, and therein lies the challenge. But why is this so difficult for so many? Let’s consider:
It Demands Denying Self’s Desires. James tells us every man “is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed,” and will inevitably lead to sin and separation from God if not answered (Jas. 1:14, 15). God teaches us to deny self because it is when we fail to do so that we sin, and — despite the contention of some that God does not care — He wants the best for us, and He wants us to be reconciled to Him and to have an ongoing relationship with Him. Because He is righteous and holy, He demands His people be righteous and holy, and that means denying selfish desires.
It Demands Denying Self’s Will. Jesus exemplified this mindset in His earthly life as a pattern for His disciples to follow, and best demonstrated this in the time shortly before He was taken away to be tried and crucified. In the Garden and facing certain torture and death, Jesus prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).
Of course, we seek the eternal reward, so it is only fitting that we set aside and deny our will that we may keep the will of the Father. Peter once described those who will not receive a reward, but God’s punishment, as “those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries” (2 Pet. 2:9, 10). They were self-willed because they were still walking according to their lusts and fleshly desires, and were unwilling to set aside what they wanted to do, to do what the Lord wanted them to do. Disciples of Jesus Christ must not be so described, and anyone who seeks the eternal reward cannot read God’s revealed will [the Bible] and argue, “I know what it says, but…” and then try to do whatever they will, instead! Self-will is unacceptable!
It Demands Denying Glory for Self. This is just as important as the other demands of denying self: the denial of any glory and honor and recognition for self. Sadly, this is where so many have trouble because so many people seek recognition for themselves or their deeds. Again, the apostle Paul gives us some notable words regarding this and how he had himself practiced this, saying, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). What Paul did was no longer for Paul, but for Christ, and it was as if ‘Paul’ no longer existed; now, he saw himself as merely the servant of the Lord, and Christ the motivation behind all he did.
This requires that we have a mindset of Christ above all -— in everything, at all times, and regardless of who else may be in consideration [especially self]. Paul’s attitude was as it should be because, as he put it to those in Colossae, “He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18). If anyone is to have preeminence, it is to be Christ, and whatever thoughts of glory and honor for self we have must be eliminated, for it has no place in the Lord’s church. There is only one head, and can only be one head; there is only one source of authority, and can only be one source of authority; and there is only one who is worthy of the glory and honor He should receive from man. This requires a denial of glory-seeking for self!
Just think about the trouble that will inevitably result when just one person in a local congregation seeks glory for self. Take Diotrephes, as an example. He was one who, John wrote, “loves to have the preeminence” among the believers (3 John 1:9); that desire for preeminence led him to think he had the power and authority to say who could be a part of the church and who could not— even the apostle John himself! When there is just one person in a local church who seeks preeminence, it will inevitably bring trouble to that group. It could be one man who seeks preeminence through an appointment as elder; if he doesn’t convince others he is qualified, then he will cause trouble and maybe even make sure no one else is appointed, either; if he is appointed, it will be no less troublesome for the congregation, for he will likely lead the flock in places the Master Shepherd does not desire they go! It could be that one seeks preeminence or honor through the deeds that are done, supposedly for the good of the congregation; the motivation, in all reality, is for recognition, and if it withheld or if their way is not chosen, they will cause trouble and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of others as a means to convincing others of how much better his way could have been. This does not foster unity or fellowship within a congregation, but strife and ill-will!
It is an Ongoing, Continuous Necessity. The need for self-denial is an ongoing challenge, and not a one-time decision, and that itself is a challenge. We must always exercise self-control and self-denial, and it must begin with our thoughts. Jesus once said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35). It is in our mind that our desires and our will begins, and it is for that reason we must continuously guard our thoughts against slipping back into old patterns. If we are to deny self — fleshly desires, our own will above God’s, and seeking honor and glory — then we must fill our minds with that which will eliminate such thinking. It is for this reason Paul urges us to meditate on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy” (Phil. 4:8). If we are thinking on those things, we won’t be thinking about fulfilling our fleshly desires, doing our own will instead of God’s, or seeking glory, honor, and recognition.
This necessarily leads to the need for exercising self-control of our actions, where self-denial will most often be recognized. As disciples — and for those who desire to be disciples — we can also no longer do whatever we want with our bodies. As Paul wrote to those in Rome, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:12-14). In other words, our body is not for our selfish purposes anymore, but for Christ.
Will we rise to the challenge and successfully deny self, that our Lord’s will may be done? We must, if it is the Lord we seek to please! Let us choose to deny self and exalt the Lord. — Steven Harper
