6/2/2025 Daily Devotion: Deny Self. Find Life.

Matthew 16:24-26 - “24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

“If anyone would come after me … “ - Jesus

• Would you? Do you? Have you?

• The Greek word used here for “would come” means to will, intend, resolve, purpose or desire …

• Have you RESOLVED to go after Jesus?

• Do you DESIRE with all that you are to go after Jesus?

• Have you made it your life’s PURPOSE to go after Jesus?

Once we establish a true WILL to come after Jesus … how do we do it?!?!

1. DENY OUR SELF

   - Our culture and society is OBSESSED with our self. Our own self is our biggest threat to experiencing the Abundant Life that Jesus has for us … not the devil, not the world … OUR SELF.

   - Denying Self is not the same as being in denial … Jesus does not call us to be unaware of who we are … He calls us to deny our self the control over ourselves it so desperately desires!

   - Denying self is to acknowledge the impact that sin has had on us … PRIDE is the result of sin’s work in us … Pride makes our self the object of our worship … Our pride makes us our own god.

   - Denying self is to humbly acknowledge & accept our self’s rightful place in RELATION TO GOD. … removing our self from the throne of our life!

2. TAKE UP OUR CROSS

   - To take up our own cross is to WILLINGLY SACRIFICE our self … just as Jesus did for us!

   - Once we have denied our self the throne of our life we then bring ALL OF OUR SELF to God in sacrifice … Paul calls us to be a LIVING SACRIFICE to God as Worship to Him.

   - We give Him our desires, our wishes, our dreams, our talents, our passions, our gifts, our fears, our weakness, our strength, our pain, our frustration, our plans, our relationships … we give it all SACRIFICIALLY to God.

3. FOLLOW JESUS

   - Sacrificing our self is not the final step of the Christian life just like dying on the cross was not the final step of Jesus’ Mission.

   - Jesus CONQUERED DEATH, rising again to LIFE … and He calls us to FOLLOW HIM in living that Life abundantly!

   - When we WILLINGLY SACRIFICE our self to God He TRANSFORMS our self to live out His Purpose IN HIS POWER.

   - When we give our self up, we do not lose our self, we FIND OUR TRUE SELF in Him … as He created us to be!

   - This life that He calls us to now live is lived by FOLLOWING His Will & saying YES! to His Call … Following His lead instead of our own!

The biggest threat to FOLLOWING JESUS is your self. Full stop. Recognize that. Give your self to Him … and FIND LIFE.