By Neil Anderson
September 13
Matthew 16:24
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself
A primary reason why we struggle to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission is because we are guilty of a great omission : We fail to deny ourselves.
Denying yourself is not the same as self-denial. Students, athletes and cult members practice self-denial, restricting themselves from substances and activities which keep them from reaching their goals. But the ultimate purpose of self-denial is self-glorification. The ultimate purpose of denying self is to glorify God.
Jesus was talking about denying yourself in the essential battle of life: the scramble for the throne, the struggle over who is going to be God. Jesus doesn’t enter into that battle; He’s already won it. He occupies the throne and graciously offers to share it with us. But we want to be king in our lives by ourselves. Until we deny ourselves that which was never meant to be ours–the role of being God in our lives–we will never be at peace with ourselves or God, and we will never be free.
You were not designed to function independently of God, nor was your soul designed to function as master. You will either serve God and His kingdom or Satan and his kingdom. Self-seeking, self-serving, self-justifying, self-glorifying, self-centered and self-confident living is in actuality living and serving the world, the flesh and the devil. On the other hand, denying yourself is not self-mortification. God is not trying to annihilate you; He is trying to restore you.
When you deny yourself, you invite God to take the throne of your life, to occupy what is rightfully His, so that you may function as a person who is spiritually alive in Christ. Denying yourself is essential to spiritual freedom.
Prayer: Lord, too many times I have tried to live independently of You. I deny myself today and yield the throne of my life to You.
Related articles
- NEW AGE EXPOSED: Serving Same Supernatural Being as Satanists (vineoflifenews.com)
- The Blood-Bought Joy of Prayer (matgilbert.wordpress.com)
- Breakfast With Jesus: MATTHEW 16:24 (drgilstieglitz.wordpress.com)
- “Jesus, A Miracle Worker”/Peter Second and Third Denials (robertadennisblog.wordpress.com)
- Following Jesus, On His Terms, Pastor Boaz Olang (magnifyhisword.wordpress.com)

About the author: Greg is a strong believer in Jesus Christ and is also a political analyst, author, and is the Editor-in-Chief for the National War Council. By day he is a self-employed non-emergency medical transport driver, as well as being an author and blogger. His articles are first published on Inspirational Christian Blogs, and I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! His articles have been widely published on many well-known conservative websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so leaving all links intact and crediting the author and the website that the article appeared on.
Greg is the author of the newly released book: Spiritual Darkness is Destroying America and the Church
Categories: FAITH FOR TODAY, INSPIRATIONAL DEVOTIONS
Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."