Matthew 16:24-25

New King James Version

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

For Encouragement

My eyes see, and my mind tells me I can have it. My ears hear, and Mr. Self says, you can indulge a little, for it will hurt nobody. The fingers touch and feel a sensation, and delight gets aroused. Brother Mind whispers how great it will be for me to satisfy the flesh for the moment—just for the moment!

Now, listen to the applause from the crowds. The people have waited for an idol like you for a long time, and now your hour has finally come, so step up and be their hero.

What tantalizing sight, news, and opportunity they all present. The decision is yours and mine. It is ourselves or Christ. What is it going to be? As Calvin Miller says, “What great runner ever had all the milkshakes and chocolate cake that he wanted?” And I love the nail he drives home so well.

“The law of self-denial says that we become what we idolize only by standing on top of our appetites and telling them, NO!”

We cannot have our way and have Christ with us on our journey. The world cannot be our bosom friend while we call Christ, Lord. It is Him alone, or it’s a no to discipleship. So let’s hear His words in Matthew 16: 24-26 and re-orient our perspectives and spiritual formation.

“If anybody wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

“Deny himself!”

Kwame, did you hear that? How about you, dear reader, my friend? These are our marching orders from our Lord. What do we do with them?

The cross is the ultimate symbol of self-denial. It is the culmination of the total self-denial of Christ throughout His life for our salvation. This process started when He emptied Himself of all His prerogatives as God (Phil. 2:6-8) through the situation of His birth in the manger (Lk. 2:4-7). It continued when he said, NO to Satan in the wilderness temptation (4:1-13), Peter’s rebuke (Matt. 16:22-23), and at Gethsemane (Lk. 22:42). What an example for us (Heb. 12:2).

We cannot look at the cross dripping with the precious blood of our Savior and walk away, holding on to and demanding our so-called rights in their various forms. As a child of God, you have no personal rights but what Christ gives you. From Him, you request to know His will for you that becomes your right to embrace.

What is it going to be then for us today? Will you continue to hug yourself and all its pleasures and appetites and rights and lose your soul, or you will lay them all down on the altar of self-denial and let the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit burn them all away? That was Paul’s way of self-denial (Phil. 3:8-9). So, I pray:

I will, Lord. Help me by your grace. Amen!