The Meaning Of Self-Denial

Meaning Of Self-Denial
And He called to Himself the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when He comes in His glory as God the Father with the holy Angels.” Mark 8:34-37

Self-Denial Means The Following

1. Self-denial is to abandon one’s will, and do the will of God. For example, on the Sabbath Day, God said everybody should rest. Then, you can pray and worship God. You can also rest or sleep. But, many people are busy on the Sabbath Day, doing their own will, which are personal opinions and collective decisions. They are busy moving about, buying and selling, doing all kinds of works, engaging in meetings and occasions. They do not know that by so doing they are excluding themselves from the kingdom of heaven, which kingdom exists in silence and as Sabbath (rest). Every wise group does not accept disobedient ones as its members.
2. You have to perform all your duties and works as service offering to God Almighty. You mop the floor to the glory of God. You cook, because the food is for the children of God.
3. You have to render selfless services to God and humanity, without expecting rewards, thanks, praises force or persuasion. One minister of God came to the office, complaining of all those who are against him. He was talkative, endlessly in mentioning very important personalities and successful men he had assisted in the past, complaining that none of them is ready and willing to help him. Even those who invite him to their houses, in order to help him, end up doing nothing or just giving him money that is meaningless.
   
   Such a person is in error. He has not denied himself. And he does not depend solely in God. He goes about expecting people to pay him for services he should have rendered free to God.
4. You depend solely on God.
5. Keep all your wisdom aside. Then, listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance, from day to day.
6. It is your duty to live the principle of God first, in theory and in practices. The world often say, “God first,” but they do not live it in practice. Thereby they make themselves hypocrites, who cannot be trusted. Those who are called as ministers, you have to live the principle of God first, by leaving whatever you are doing, and face God’s work.
   
   As you are working in the Lord’s vineyard, God will be working in your own farm (for your own good). God will take care of your problems, your children’s education, etc.
   
   People say God first, but do not practice it. In the schools, the teachers, lecturers and students are everyday doing whatever they like. In the banks, the bank manager and staff keep God’s word aside and manipulate accounts anyhow they like. During occasions, people forget about decency and wear all kinds of indecent dresses. They have all turned their back on God, and have abandoned the word of God.
7. You have to keep aside your church, likewise your religion, all man-made laws and doctrines, your cultures, your customs and traditions and do what God says, to follow the Truth and abide by it. In various places, they reject the Truth and are busy doing whatever they like. The same thing happens in the diverse churches, ministries and fellowship.
8. In every situation or condition, first think of the good of others and attend to their needs. When you strive for the good of others, it is unavoidably for your own good also. In Nigeria, for example, every politician or government worker is after his own pocket, to drain public treasury into their private accounts. Properties are not well taken care of. People are stealing time by absence and lateness, and by attending to personal business engagements during office hours.

         To do things contrary to the above explanations is saving one’s life. People, who strive to save thier lives, end up loosing their lives, because their earthly gains and honours turn into curses and afflictions, and they end up inside the hell fire, where there are endless torments and gnashing of teeth. Such people:

1. Break the Sabbath, by surfing on their phones.
2. They keep themselves busy, answering phones or making calls, with the intention that nobody sees them. The Holy Spirit does not need witness, because Himself is Truth.
3. The disobedient ones keep themselves busy, buying and selling, travelling, going to occasions and ceremonies, cooking and working on the Sabbath day. The obedient ones save their lives, here on earth, and gain everlasting life in which are abundant treasures and pleasures. All the everyday efforts and services, of the obedient people, which the world considers as waste, turn into life and blessings for the obedient ones. Many gain all the pleasures of the world, but loose their souls to hell fire. They go into forbidden places and entertain themselves with all kinds of worldly music, but at last, are cast into the hell fire.

Meaning Of Self Denial - Part 2
         Self-denial means that:

1. You have to stop placing yourself first.
2. Instead, you place God first.
3. Next, you place the interest and welfare of others above your own.
4. Avoid attachments to persons, places or things.
5. Avoid regretting for lost items, missed opportunities, wasted years, etc.
6. Stop paying so much attention to yourself.
7. Stop minding what people say about you.
8. Stop bearing grudges, which means to stop counting offences people committed against you.
9. Stop telling stories of this person did this and that person did that.
10. Develop the ability to forgive and forget.
11. Stop defending your respect and honour.
12. Stop expecting thanks, rewards, praises, force or persuasion.
13. Do not mind events or situations, where you are not regarded or honoured.
14. Stop calling attention to yourself.
15. Stop being selfish. Every time, my car, my house, my phone, my children, my school, my money, my …..
16. First attend to the needs of others.
17. Avoid unnecessary insistence.
18. Offer necessary assistance, where such does not go against the will of God. Do not spend God’s time attending to people, doing family deliverance, when you should be in the prayers or worship.
19. Do not spend your time regretting, crying or weeping, because somebody said something about you.
20. Ignore mockery.
21. Ignore what people say about, ignore their bad comments.
22. Ignore gossips.
23. Ignore anything that will make you deviate from doing God’s work.
24. Etc.

Sample Cases
         When you become spiritually mature, you shall overlook the following:

1. Crying because somebody said something bad against you.
2. Becoming unduly offended because somebody laughed at you.
3. Always looking at yourself on the mirror.
4. Etc.

Things To Avoid
         You have to avoid the following, if you want to grow in spirit:

1. Always complaining.
2. Always nagging.
3. Always murmuring.
4. Being offended, being easily offended.
5. Having unforgiving spirit.
6. Refusal of corrections.
7. Always quarrelling.
8. Always seeing others as your enemies.
9. Etc.

Self-Denial Is The Real Test

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. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27

Explanations:

1. In submitting to the will of God you win.

2. In losing yourself you become one with the Father.

3. In humility is greatness.

4. And in simplicity is fullness of joy.

5. In helping others you gain experience and mastery.

6. In prospering others you gain prosperity.

7. In blessing others you become blessed.

8. In being merciful you obtain mercy.

9. In distributing you receive in abundance.

10. In using the little you have you gain over much.

11. "In serving others is your success and prosperity," says the God Almighty.

You should know that humility is not poverty, and poverty is not simplicity.

People Are Rather Denying God
They profess to know God, but in works (of unGodliness) they deny Him, being abominable (false and contrary teaching), disobedient (unGodly), and disqualified (not acceptable as Godly) for every good work. Titus 1:15-16

From time to time, people have quoted the above statement of Jesus Christ. Religious leaders have explained it several times. Yet, the meaning is still unknown, for no man can explain spiritual statement by using human logic and reasoning. Spiritual statement are understood and explained by the powers of the Holy Spirit.

More On The Meaning Of Self-Denial
         From the following explanations understand the meaning of self-denial:

1. Today, many people who are ministers of God, leave their divine work, in pursuit of personal business, education, marriage, etc.

2. To keep the original Ten Commandments of God, without changing them.

3. To read, hear and do the word of God as God said it, without misinterpreting it.

4. To place God first in every situation.

5. To abide by the true religious beliefs and practices in every situation. Many do not practise their religion in their business (cheating others), education (examination malpractice), office (bribery and corruption) etc. Therefore, they are hypocrites.

6. A saint does not claim doership. If he achieves any success, he knows that the success became possible by the power of God. Therefore he gives glory to God. Jesus explained this fact when he said,

7.

8. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

9. A true saint performs his everyday duties as service offering to God. He does so without expecting rewards, thanks, praises, force or persuasion.

10. He pays little or no attention to his self. That is why he is always engaged in selfless services to God and humanity.

11. In every situation, he thinks about others and provides for their needs. By so doing, everybody contribute to the general wellbeing of humanity.

12. You have to recognize that you are not separate from God. Instead, it is God that lives in you and as you. This is called self-knowledge. Whoever that has attained this knowledge has overcome the world. He is a true son of the living God.

13. You must detach or dissociate yourself from anything that would make you lose heaven. It is quite disappointing that today, people are busy clamouring for all kinds of worldly things, when they supposed to be avoiding worldly attractions.

14. Should people persecute you and take your land and properties or deny your rights and previleges, recover them if you can. Where you cannot, you must leave them with joy and goodwill, to seek and enter the kingdom of heaven.

15. Leave your customs and traditions, your plans and desires, your hopes and aspirations, and face God’s work. God will take care of your needs.

16. Do not avoid God’s work because of your family, children, business, education, marriage, work, etc. People neglect to do God’s work. They are busy giving God all kinds of reasons and excuses, which God calls “irrelevant excuses”.

17. Etc.

18.

19. The Following Are Not Growing In Spirit And In Truth
         You are not practising self-denial if:

20. You do not focus on your God-given assignment and to complete it successfully.

21. You allow other things to interfere or disturb your God-given assignment in the world. You do not take your cross (take up your responsibilities and do them) and follow Jesus (live a saintly lifestyle), not minding the consequences.

22. You are always quarrelling with people.

23. You cannot overlook everyday insults.

24. You are fond of struggling with others over something.

25. You are fond of fighting.

26. You cannot easily forgive offences.

27. You are proud and boastful of your achievements.

28. You are frequently checking yourself up on the mirror, window glass, car window screen, etc like the women folk do.

29. You spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, looking at your mirror image. Pay less attention to yourself.

30. You spend a lot of time applying make-ups.

31. You prefer to wear worldly dresses, fashions and trends, instead of simple and saintly dresses.

32. You do not tolerate others.

33. You do not render selfless services, readily and willingly. A very bad example is the woman who would complain and complain each time her children ask her for money to pay school fees, levies or contributions. The woman usually complain and complain before giving out the money.

34. You are among the noisy and boisterous ones.

35. You always love to attend occasions, ceremonies and events.

36. You like to be noticed.

37. You like to move in the company of the famous stars, popular personalities or VIPs.

38. You cannot humble yourself to attend to the needs of the less privileged ones in the society.

39. You embezzle public funds entrusted into your hands.

40. You are always passing buck, by blaming others.

41. You are talkative, always answering calls or making phone calls.

42. You are often chewing gum. Chewing gum is worse than being talkative, because it involves the teeth, which works like iron but talking uses the tongue only.

43. You always want to be the first to be attended to. If you like to bypass others in the line up or follow short cuts to the neglect of due processes.

44. You always attend to yourself first before attending to others. A very good example, is when there is hold up, traffic jam, you see all the drivers rushing forward, driving on the wrong lanes and impatient to allow others pass before them. As many as do this are not denying themselves and they cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Another example, when some people are asked to share things, they first bring out their own portion before sharing to others. This is very bad.

45. You always eat in the public without giving to others.

46. You do not like serving others at occasions. Instead, you would like to sit down and be served always.

47. You always thinking of ‘my church,’ ‘my members,’ ‘my group,’ ‘my share,’ ‘my comfort,’ etc, to the neglect of the welfare, rights and privileges of others.

48. You are not wining in the everyday manifestations of your personality defects. For example, you are not able to control yourself when people offend you. You are easily offended or temperamental.

49. You are always finding faults or engaging in quarrels like the women often do.

50. You cannot control your desires and tastes and lifestyles.

51. You are fond of titles and appellations, to the extent that you would not attend to an invitation simply because the spelling of your name is not correct, or because the person inviting did not use the right appellations like Dr., Chief, Professor, Prince, etc.

52. You always insist on revenging the wrong done to you by others.

53. You always insist on collecting every little change that is left.

54. You always insist on collecting, recovering, every item that belongs to you.

55. You always comparing yourself with others.

56. You always competing with others. Your destiny is an individual affair. It does not call for competition, but co-operation.

57. You, the wife, would insist on something, against what your husband has already said or concluded. The same thing applies to the person who insist on going contrary to what the authorities have said.

58. If you are always monitoring others, to know about their personal thoughts, words and actions. For example, some mother-in-laws keep on monitoring the wives of their sons, in order to control the sons and their wives. That is interference and it is an abomination.

59. Etc.

60.