Mark 8:34(b), "...Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  

The context of today's verse is Mark 8:31-38.  Please take a moment to focus on the content of these verses. What we seek to keep is often the very thing God wants us to surrender.  Christianity, if it is lived according to the Word of God, is a life of denying self.   

Denying self and self-denial are not the same thing, many seem to use the terms as synonymous. People, saved or lost, practice self-denial in many areas of life.  The most prominent area could be easily understood by looking at people who diet.  They will deny themselves certain foods in order to lose weight.  Athletes practice self-denial in order to get in the best shape possible so they can compete.  Self-denial is something practiced for one's own benefit.  Denying self is giving up your life for the purpose of following Jesus.  It isn't about saving your life, it is about surrendering your life to Jesus to live out His purposes and plans.  

If you are going to follow Jesus, He has already explained, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  The cross is a symbol of death, in order to deny self, you must die to self!

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

MEDITATIONS

1. After salvation, the most important thing you can do is to die to self. Have you made this commitment to be dead to self?

2. Explain what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “I die daily” in 1 Cor. 15:31.

3. How does self-denial differ from denying self?

4. How has your attitude and actions demonstrated that you are dead to self?