Jesus here teaches something that at first seems paradoxical, “Lose your life to gain it”. However, this paradigm is a theme through Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Recently Budweiser hired a transgender man as their spokesperson to try to be inclusive. Since then, they have lost 5 billion dollars in company value. When someone commented on this backlash, they insightfully pointed out that Budweiser had forgotten its DNA and its core values. In a similar manner, self-denial is at the core of Christian life and one that has been forgotten. A failure to deny oneself is a recipe for a miserable and weak Christian. In verse 23, Jesus calls for everyone’s self-denial. This is set up in verse 22 where He sets the example. Our Lord suffered for us and we seek to be like Him.
Right now many Christians support abortion, gay Christians, transgender Christians, and Christians without a church. They are embracing the culture and what the culture demands. They foolishly believe that they can thrive as Christians while surrendering to the culture. Instead, Jesus taught the truth, suffered, bled, and died. He stood alone against the world and they hated Him. How can we expect to partake in the life and love of Jesus while embracing the world which is against Him? We must practice self-denial. We are not saved by self-denial but it is a part of our daily lives. When we deny ourselves, we die daily, and wonderfully Christ lives in us. This is the secret and source of our indomitable joy.
Jesus will reward self-denial while self-pursuit leads to ruin (Mt 19:29). In verse 24, Jesus says, whoever wishes to save his life, will lose it. There is no salvation without self-denial. “Save his life” is trying to keep your life as it is and a rejection of Jesus Christ. It is self-will, self-aggrandizement, and self-desire. It is a refusal to submit and surrender to Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save the world but you must first surrender and believe in Him (John 3:16). If you fail to practice self-denial then you are your own god. You are your own idol (Luke 12:19).
Salvation and self-denial are related because Jesus saves us through His self-denial. He is God. He is the Word of God made flesh. He didn’t have to come. He was baptized and went through man’s perfect obedience through serving and suffering. He didn’t have to do any of this. He was the pinnacle of self-denial. The seed must die before it can grow and bear fruit. Apostle Paul understood the sin of his former life and forsook it (1 Timothy 1:13). Those who do not practice self-denial are dead to life and alive to sin. They try to cover their old life with good deeds but they cannot remove their sinful nature. There are also those who practice easy believe-ism. The gospel is simple but it is not easy. We are saved by grace through faith. No rituals or ceremonies. True salvation requires self-denial and the Lordship of Jesus Christ which results in obedience (1 John 2:3-4).
Self-denial is for Christian living as well. We see many miserable Christians, who although they have the sufficient Word of God, act poor and weak. Those who are bitter, frustrated, weak, or miserable still have their pride (Erick Raymond). Ray Comfort is a great evangelist who has endured great ridicule and persecution while trying to share the gospel. Yet he is still gracious, loving, and joyful to everyone. He is humble. He has set aside his pride and follows Christ. Anyone in Christ will be changed. They will have the life of Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Those who fully embrace Christ will experience the joy and strength in Him which can not be found in your own self. Continually place your life in the Word of God. Examine yourself in the light of God’s Word, repent, and bear the fruit of obedience.
Those who love self and the world will have no love for Christ. As a result, they compromise their faith because of their misplaced love. Jesus says self-denial leads to cross-bearing. Cross-bearing requires a choice, do you love the world or Jesus Christ? Those who love Jesus will bear the cross that He bore (2 Timothy 3:12). Those who love the world will live like the world (1 John 2:16). Many people foolishly do (Proverbs 14:12). The believer has the love of God and is to love Jesus fully (1 John 2:15). We are in the world but we are not of the world.
The warning escalates to an ultimatum in Luke 9:26. Jesus says if you fail to deny yourself and instead deny Him, then He will deny you. Jesus always keeps His word. This is not an empty warning. He said He would rise on the third day and He did (Luke 9:22). Heaven and earth will pass away but Jesus’ words will not (Matthew 24:35). So we must heed the warning of Jesus.
We are ashamed of Jesus and deny Him for various reasons. First, because of our sin. The same warning is present in Matthew 7:22-23 against those who practice lawlessness. They don’t know Christ because of their sin. Also, the cross sounds foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18,23). We do not consider the Bible as God’s word and the gospel as God’s salvation because it does not align with the world’s wisdom. Thirdly, we love the approval of man (John 12:43). We fear the rejection of men rather than the rejection of Christ. Ask yourself. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Then you must stand firm. You might get hurt, you might lose your job, you might be rejected and you might suffer. But this is our practice of self-denial.
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