[ANGLICAN DEVOTIONAL 7 MARCH 2021] TOPIC: SELF DENIAL
TOPIC: Self Denial (Anglican Devotional 7 March 2021)
READ: Luke 9:18- 27 (NKJV)
And it happened, as He was alone praying, [that] His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some [say] Elijah; and others [say] that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Then He said to [them] all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His [own] glory, and [in His] Father’s, and of the holy angels.
“But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
THE MESSAGE:
Immediately after yesterday’s episode, Jesus initiated a discussion with His disciples as contained in our text today. By it, He revealed the secret of a successful Christian journey, mission and ministry.
Through some searching questions, He revealed who He is to them. This would help them understand that His submission to rejection being despised and crucifixion, was possible because He denied Himself. However, the end point of it all will be glorification. At this point, He emphatically stated: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself… whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it “(verses 23-24).
Self-denial is a must for every Christian; one cannot be a Christian without denying himself. To deny oneself implies that the person no longer lives according to the desires of his flesh but according to Christ’s life. It means seeing yourself as nothing crucifying your self-worth or ego. Let us put it this way: It implies ‘maltreating’ yourself (the Adamic nature) for the sake of Christ.
PRAYER: I die to self today: please, Lord Jesus rule me.
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