Self Denial: Basic Truth Of Christian Discipleship.

Self Denial: Basic Truth Of Christian Discipleship.


The most subtle enemy of the believer is Self and many professing believers today are ill-disposed to the basic truth of christian discipleship which deals with that enemy and that is "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ". 

It is a very difficult thing to deny Self especially in a day in christendom when much of the message focuses on Self...self discovery, self development, self improvement, self confidence, self worth, self esteem etc. as good as all these may sound we may ask: where is the place of the cross of Christ in all these things? 

Where are the disciples who are denying themselves, taking up their cross to follow the Lord daily & not taking up a self made & self-oriented cross(burden/responsibility) to follow their spiritual ambition, pursuit of purpose or to follow men who will empower them in the pursuit of their ambition?


The Government Of The Spirit vs Self Government. 

Self discovery, self realization, self advancement/improvement & self liberty/government is what the serpent preached to Eve in the garden and she bought the message; however, that is the message which plunged the whole of creation under man, into the bondage of corruption. 

We cannot know the true liberty of the Spirit until in the place of self denial, we submit, yield & come under the government of the Spirit. We are only free when we are governed. As many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God and the adoption of sonship implies that we have been liberated from the Spirit of bondage. This sonship entails that we are no longer like servants under bondage & enslaved to the elements of the world, but have received the adoption of sons(Romans 8:14-15; Galatians 4:1-5). Sons of God are thus those who are practically under the government of the Spirit, and therein they walk in the liberty of the Spirit. 

The liberty(Grk. eleutheria) of the Spirit is a liberty to live as we should and not as we please/however we like.

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