Deny Yourself

Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt.16:24.

Millions want to follow Jesus, but only few are willing to deny themselves. This is also the reason why Jesus called the way to salvation a narrow way.
“If you obtain eternal life, you must live for it and deny self. Come out of the world, and be separate. Your life must be marked with sobriety, watchfulness, and prayer. Angels are watching the development of character and weighing moral worth. All your words and acts are passing in review before God. It is a fearful, solemn time.” Test. Vol. 1, p. 242.

“We must deny self all along the way, die to self daily.” EW, p. 67.

“Self must be crucified. It is a painful death; but it is life, life to the soul.” Test. Vol. 6, p. 125.

We have many enemies who are trying to hinder our salvation. Not only people who oppose our religious practices but Satan and his vast host of fallen angels are attacking us constantly, trying to tempt us to sin, to disobey God. But yet our greatest enemy is our own self. It is easy to fight against an outside enemy, but to fight against your own self and your own desires is much harder.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members.” James 4:1.

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: let that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Cor. 9:27.

There is a war going on in every true Christian. When the mind is converted, the body is not. The old habits and lusts are still demanding satisfaction. It is sad to see that so many Christians are losing this battle.

It is selfishness or self-love that causes people to indulge their senses, to gratify their flesh, their eyes, their ears, and appetites. It is selfishness that makes a person to seek riches, and that often by a dishonest way. It is selfishness to seek a position, even in the church. Love of ease and comfort is selfishness. This selfishness must be overcome or all will be lost. “In the family of God in heaven there will not be found one who is selfish.” Test. Vol. 8, p. 140.

“God abhors all selfishness and covetousness. Unmerciful dealing He will not tolerate, but will repay in kind.” 3 Bible Commentary, p. 1158.

The best time to learn self-denial and to overcome selfishness is in early childhood. “Teach your children from the cradle to practice selfdenial and self-control.” CT, p. 127.

“The seed sown in infancy by the careful, God-fearing mother will become trees of righteousness, which will blossom and bear fruit; and the lessons given by a God-fearing father by precept and example will, as in the case of Joseph, yield an abundant harvest by and by.” CG, p. 116.

How often this is neglected; and instead of teaching children self-denial, they learn self-indulgence. Parents think that they show love to their children when they shower them with sweets, candies, toys, fancy clothing, and entertainment; while in reality by so doing, they destroy them.
When these children grow to be teenagers, they often give up their parent’s religion, and turn to the world. Already before the child was borne, destruction of self-denial was given to the parents. The parents of Samson received instruction from the angel to practice a strict diet before the child was born. “Now
therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.” Judges 13:4-5.

It takes a strong willpower to deny ourselves the pleasures that we would normally enjoy. Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matt. 26:4.

To strengthen our willpower, there is no better way than through fasting and prayer. A young man told me that he has tried everything possible to stop smoking, and he still smokes. I told him to try fasting and prayer, and a few days later he came to see me and said that he had fasted for days and prayed
for God’s help and now he does not smoke anymore.

“When Christ was the most fiercely beset by temptation, He ate nothing. He committed Himself to God, and through earnest prayer, and perfect ubmission to the will of His Father, came off conqueror.” CD, p. 186.

“The word of God sets a high mark before you. Will you, through fasting and prayerful effort, attain to the completeness and consistency of Christian character?” Test. Vol. 4, p. 400.

“Let us humble our souls before God by humiliation, fasting and prayer, repentance of sin and putting it away.” 2 S.M., p. 379.

To a worldly person the greatest joy and pleasure is to satisfy the desires of the flesh, eyes and ears. Any anniversary or special occasion is celebrated with eating and drinking and with trivial conversation. These are the highlights of their lives. To the Christians, the highlights of their lives are selfdenial, sacrifice and prayer.

In these moments the soul is lifted to the atmosphere of heaven and the Holy Spirit fills them with joy and peace. Apostle Paul learned to enjoy the trials
and persecutions, because then the grace of God abounded more than in times of peace and prosperity. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in ?necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10.

If you ask for God’s help to deny yourself, He will do it. He will remove from you the luxury items, money, rich foods by circumstances. The old Israel was taken away from the flesh pots of Egypt, and from their feasts and idol worship. They had no opportunity to indulge their sinful desires in the wilderness.
Daniel denied himself amidst the luxury and rich foods in the royal court; and this is how we must also do it.

The world is offering many things for us to indulge and gratify our flesh and sinful desires. They are available so freely to us, but yet we must from a free will refuse to enjoy them and gain a victory by prayer and fasting, as did Jesus.

May the Lord help us in this battle against self and to learn to enjoy spiritual things which will give us far greater joy and peace than any worldly pleasure, is my wish and prayer.
AMEN.

Timo Martin, Canada