We hear the phrase all the time in modern conversation: “She’s just living in denial.” Usually, it’s spoken about someone who refuses to face reality, ignoring the facts right in front of them to protect their own feelings or desires. But lately, as I’ve been observing the direction of our Christian culture and comparing it to the way Jesus calls us to live in His Word, I’ve realized something: Living in denial is actually the exact way a Christian is commanded to live. Not in denial of truth or reality, of course ~ but in denial of self. We live in a world that preaches a non-stop sermon of self-gratification and self-glorification. Every advertisement, social media feed, and modern philosophy whispers, “You deserve it. Put yourself first. Live your truth. Do what makes you feel good.” Who would have predicted the word ‘selfie’ to become one of the most well-known and often used words across the globe? Humanistic thinking puts “Self” on the throne of the heart, and this thinking has permeated the Christian church. Yet, 2000 years ago, Jesus had a completely different calling for those who wanted to identify themselves with Him and be part of His eternal kingdom. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. True Christianity requires us to make a conscious, daily decision to live in denial of our sinful flesh and our natural will to indulge the lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. John reminds us of this: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ~ 1 John 2:15-17 Mouths That Profess, Works that DenySadly, there is a subtle but growing deception floating around modern culture that suggests that we can live any way we please, as long as we say we love Jesus ~ that our lifestyle and actions don’t really have to match our words. Paul warned Titus about this very hypocritical mindset. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. It’s a sobering thought. If we can’t actively deny ourselves, we run the dangerous and real risk of denying Him with our lives. Real faith isn’t just an intellectual agreement to some religious beliefs or a warm feeling on Sunday morning in worship service. It’s an active daily surrender. Paul understood this more than most, I believe. He articulated so well the challenges of this struggle in Romans chapters 6-8 (a must-read). Paul also wrote of this relentless internal battle to the Corinthians when he simplified it from three chapters to three words: “I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31) Don often says, “It sounds easy when you say it fast.” We always laugh, because we’ve learned over our Christian lives that surrender isn’t a one-time decision we made years ago at an altar. It’s a morning-by-morning (sometimes moment-by-moment) choice to put “me” in the grave so Christ can reign in me. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. ~ Galatians 5:24-26 Laying Aside the Weights
If we want to get serious about living in denial of our flesh, we have to do some honest self-examination. That’s never fun, but always necessary. Where are our weak spots? What are the specific traps that trip us up and that we fall for again and again? In Hebrews, we find practical instructions for running our race successfully: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Everyone’s weak areas are different. For one person, the sin might be anger or gossip; for another, it might be pride, anxiety, entertainment, or unbridled appetite. A “weight” isn’t always an outright wickedness; sometimes it’s just something seemingly harmless that slows down our spiritual growth and momentum. To live in denial of the flesh, we have to identify those besetting areas, acknowledge them honestly before God, and purposefully lay them down so they no longer hinder our walk with Him. Not in the Top TwoA few weeks ago, while teaching the kids about the Good Samaritan, we talked about the Greatest Commandment: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Have you ever noticed who isn’t mentioned in the top two commandments? Us! The entire framework of God’s Law points upward to God and outward to others. There is no slot left over for self-idolatry. When we are busy loving God with everything we’ve got and pouring ourselves out to love our neighbors, self-denial begins to feel less like sacrifice and more like freedom and joy. Choosing the Master’s Will Today
What would happen if, every morning, when our feet hit the floor, or before we even crawled out of bed, we paused and prayed: “Father, today I choose to live in denial. Not of Your truth, but of my own selfish desires. Not my will, but Yours be done.” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It goes against every natural instinct of our flesh. It runs completely counter to culture (even much of current Christian culture). But as Jesus reminded us, what good does it do if a person gains the whole world, indulging every whim of the flesh, only to lose their own soul? Let’s choose to die daily, lay aside the weights, and find the true, abundant life that only comes when we lose ourselves and let Christ reign in us. We will gain everything as a result. Blessings, P.S. The hardest person you may ever have to say ‘no’ to is yourself. But every ‘no’ to the flesh makes room for a greater ‘yes’ to Christ.
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