IBS: Deny self hmm

1/15/2012

Mark 8:34- "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"

Interpretation: Jesus is giving an altar call right here and right now, always calling to the crowd of people who are close enough to hear his call. He tells them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him if they wanted to come after him. This altar call that Jesus gave 2,000 years ago is the exact call he gives today. In my life I tried to come after Jesus but I didn't deny myself. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves for many reasons, one being that we can't truly take up our cross unless we deny ourself first. This isn't legalism, this is love. Jesus knew then what he knows now, that we live in a corrupted and sinful generation full of self indulgence and the lustful lies of satan. When we deny our SELF, we can then take up the cross. It always comes back to the cross. Jesus was perfect! He never sinned! He was the perfect, holy, unblemished lamb and we KILLED him. So for us, sinners by nature, to take a little bit of responsibility for ourselves and deny our flesh and take up our cross should be the one true desire of our heart. That by no means makes it easy, but Jesus didn't just say "follow me" here for a reason. He knows there is no greater love than a sacrificial love, and for us to truly follow him and be like him we have to put that selfish part of ourselves to death, daily, in order for his perfect love to rule our lives. John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Application: God has put it on my heart to write letters explaining my transformation to some of my girlfriends, and I wrote one but theres a few more to go. I will write a letter tonight.