Self-Denial
“Self-denial” – is a restraint or limitation of one’s own
desires or interests. – Webster’s
New Collegiate Dictionary
– is the deliberate refusal to satisfy one’s desires,
as a method of disciplining oneself or making it possible to help others. – New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus of
the English Language
– is the practice of refusing to satisfy one’s own
immediate desires and interests, especially from a moral or religious motive. – Collier’s
Dictionary
Rom. 14:7-9;
2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20 Why shouldn’t a Christian live for
him/herself and do whatever he/she wants to do with/in his or her life?
Realizing
that because Jesus died for and bought us Christians with His shed blood on the
cross so that He’s now our Lord/Boss/Master, have you set aside your personal,
self-centered goals, desires, and interests (which
can include your career choice, educational pursuits, marital status, how you
spend the money and time God has entrusted you with, etc.) in order to live
in obedience to Him, according to what the Bible teaches, and why?
If
not, what do you plan to do about it, and why?
Mk. 8:34-36 What three requirements did Jesus state for a person to come
after (follow/attach as a disciple,
Are you
denying “self/yourself” (decisively/firmly
saying “no” to selfish interests and desires; turning away from the
idolatry/worship of self/self-centeredness and every attempt to orient your
life by the dictates of self-interest or self-desire; die to self/selfish
interests and desires) in order to follow Christ as His disciple (to imitate His character, values,
priorities, and purpose in life, which is to seek and save the spiritually
lost, Lk. 19:10; Mk. 1:17), and why?
[To
deny “self” does not mean to deny yourself of things, like ice cream, but
rather to deny “self” itself/yourself.].
And
are you taking up your cross (willing to
suffer or be rejected by people and even to physically die for Christ) in
order to follow Christ as His disciple/pupil/imitator, and why?
Finally, are you and will you
continually and daily say “no” to self and be willing to suffer and even die
for Christ, and why?
The person who wishes to save his
soul-life (the invisible, immaterial you by
maintaining a self-centered life in this world) will lose it (to eternal ruin). On the other hand,
the person who loses his soul-life (by
dying to self, the self-centered life and in loyalty/devotion to and) for
Christ and the gospel will save his soul-life (forever with God, Jn.
Which one have
you chosen, and why?
What
benefit is there to gaining the whole world (in
obtaining all your self-centered interests and desires) only to forfeit
your soul-life (to eternal ruin)?
Mk.
What did Jesus say He’d make them
into by following Him,
Are you willing to leave your
family, school, career/job, home, in fact, everything in order to follow Christ
and His purpose of evangelizing the spiritually lost (Lk. 19:10), so you can learn and become an evangelizer of people
too?
Will
you make yourself available by denying self, leaving everything, and asking a
Christ-like Christian to teach and train you to be an evangelizer of
spiritually lost people, and why?
Lk.
Is your love for and loyalty to
Christ so great/supreme that in comparison your love for yourself (self-preservation) appears as if you
hated yourself?
What did a person have to give up in
order to be Christ’s disciple, vs. 33?
Because Jesus constantly traveled
and didn’t have a home of his own, anyone who wanted to be a disciple/follower
of His couldn’t take anything with him, as there was no place to put things nor
any way to constantly carry things as they would get in the way and become a
hindrance to the ministry.
Are
you willing to give up any and all of your possessions in order to be a
disciple/trainee of a Christ-like Christian leader, if the training does not
allow for or have the facilities for them, and why?
Acts
20:22-24; 21:13 Even though the Holy Spirit told Paul that
chains/bonds and affliction/suffering/persecution awaited him by going to
Jerusalem, what was Paul’s attitude about his life, and why (vs. 24)?
Are
you willing to deny “self” by being willing to suffer and even die, if need be,
in the process of evangelizing the spiritually lost for Christ, and why?
1 Cor. 8:4-13; Rom. 14:14, 15, 20, 21; 15:1 Who does the Christian exist for and through (8:6)?
Because we exist for God and through
Jesus Christ, the Lord, we should refrain from doing anything that might cause
a less biblically-knowledgeable Christian to violate his/her conscience by our participating
in something that he/she thinks is morally wrong to do, even though, in
actuality, it’s not morally wrong to do (like
eating meat that had been sacrificed to an idol).
For example, some Christians might
be tempted to do any of the following things if they see you (a more biblically-knowledgeable Christian)
doing it but for which they believe it’s morally wrong to do, even though it
may not be (e.g., drinking any amount of
alcohol, smoking a cigarette, attending a movie theater, eating pork or any
meat, any type of dancing, etc.).
What
did Paul say he would do if food (offered
to idols) caused/encouraged a weaker Christian to stumble/sin, and why?
Are
you willing to deny “self” by refraining from doing anything that the weaker
Christian might be tempted to do that he thinks is morally wrong, so that he’s
not spiritually ruined, and why?
Matt.
What
should the man do who is able to accept the single role in order to further the
kingdom of heaven (God’s salvation
program on earth) more devotedly by not having marital distractions and
responsibilities/concerns (1 Cor.
7:32-35)?
1 Cor. 9:6-15, 18 Paul and Barnabas denied
themselves by not telling the Corinthian Christians to financially and/or
materially support them, even though Paul and Barnabus had the right as
full-time missionaries and evangelizers to be financially supported by the
Corinthians. So, Paul and Barnabas had to work and support themselves at times
in order to carry on their missionary work (vs.
6; Acts
Why didn’t they tell the Corinthians
to support them, vs. 12?
How might the
gospel be hindered by Paul telling them to financially support Barnabas
and him (2 Cor. 6:3;
If
you’re a full-time missionary, are you willing to deny “self” by not telling
the people, you’ve led to Christ or have taught the Bible to, that they should
financially support you, so that the gospel isn’t hindered, and why?
[In most cases, it’s proper to teach those
you minister to that it’s their God-given responsibility to financially support
the person ministering to them full-time, 1 Cor. 9:7-11; 2 Cor. 11:8; Gal.
6:6.].
2 Tim. 2:3, 4 What does a good soldier/Christian in active
service not do, so that he may please the one/Jesus who enlisted him?
If you plan to be a good
soldier/Christian, then you need to not get entangled/absorbed/caught up in
civilian life/affairs (e.g., pursuing
money, materialism, climbing the career/job ladder, sports-mania, etc.).
Will
you deny “self”, so that you can be a good/devoted Christian, and why?
Titus 2:11, 12 The grace/favor of God
brought to all (kinds/classes/types/groups
of) people instructs these believers to deny what?
As we saw in 2 Cor.
Are
you denying worldly desires, and why?
If
not, what will you do about it, and why?