The way out of self-life is seen in the book of Luke chapter 9 verse 23

“Then He said to them all, if anyone desires to come after, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me”.

Self have been defined as the totality of a man’s personality, the complete identity with which each man is known and which determines his character, his ambition, his concepts, his goals and his ego.

From Luke 9:23

“Let him deny himself”

is our point of study and for a better understanding of denying self, different versions of the bible give us various understanding of the word “deny”. These versions include Good News Bible, New English Bible, PHILIP’S Modern Translation, the Living Bible, the Jerusalem Bible. From their definitions deny means:

• Forget himself
• Say No to himself and his own interest
• Disown himself
• Lose sight of himself
• Refuse and give up self
• Renounce himself
• Leave self behind
• Give up all right to self
• Disregard self
• Put aside and ignore

To deny himself does not mean to discard a habit or withdraw from certain vices from self but “himself”. It means to deny him the totality of who he is, all that he is called, all that he can identify with, not just his possessions, goods, certificate or whatever but “himself”. ‘Every other other thing apart from “himself is secondary.

To deny yourself means to end your services and your relationship with self (the flesh) you consciously reject yourself so that not praise of men, criticism or blackmail from men will affect you any longer because you have said no to “yourself”

To deny self also means “let him forget himself….”
To forget means not to remember any more.

That is to say you will not remember who you are, your personality or importance. No matter what people may do to you in a way of insult, disregard, denial of your right, humiliation etc. it will never occur to you that anything has happened to you because you have ccompletely wiped off from your memory “yourself”. You even cannot try to remember who you were before now.
Jesus our master washed His disciples feet by Himself even though He was God. He forgot Himself as God and brought himself down to the level of a servant which is contrary to the world system.

Forgetting of self is the first and basic condition for any man to experience the divine impartation of Jesus life and power for life and service such a manwill never be offended when abused, cheated, not recognized for whatever he has done. He easily submit to anybody.
A true disciple of Jesus must give up all rights to self. That is to disown your position and your possessions and dissociate yourself from them, even the right to use yourself as you like.

For example: the right to sleep when you feel like or the right to eat when you are hungry. It will mean nothing to you when such times are used for the service of the Lord. Jesus did it, He forsook food and mustered to the need of the Samaritan woman.
Also Paul the Apostle made sure he disciplined his body to do what he should and not what he wants so that he will not be a cast out after ushering others to heaven.

Giving up all rights to yourself does include how you spend your money, even though it is yours but you cannot spend it at will you must listen to Master Jesus directives. You don’t even demand for a thank you after any act of kindness but rather return any “thankyou” to Jesus if already given. After all you have given up your right to be thanked.

A man that has denied self does not defend himself, criticize another person or judge him wrong or right. He leaves everything to god. Even Jesus though He was God gave up His right as God and was obedient even to death, He did everything that His father asked Him to do despite its shame. If Jesus gave up His right and obey God even unto death then who are you and what have you that was not given to you by God? He prayed and interceded for His persecutors contrary to what some men and servants of God did when they were provoked. For example, Moses prayed against the sons of korah, Dathan and Abuzim and the ground opened and swallowed them up alive.

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Deny yourself is losing your all even your life also. It is an actual fact that a man can be free from self for with God all things are possible. In Romans chapter 7 God gave Paul the Apostle the victory overself. Simply give your self-life to the Lord and He will deal with him.

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God bless you as you do according to his words. Amen.

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