The studies I will be blogging about Dying to Self is from "The Disciple's Handbook" published by DPI. These are important studies for myself and many others. I really need to make some changes in my life... on of which is "dying to self". Quotes from the book I'm using will be in blue, verses from the bible in red and my own thoughts in green. I pray that this will help me build a stronger relationship with God.
Luke 9:18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Well, who do you think Jesus really is? Is he the son of God or just a prophet? Is he just a man from the past that did really cool things? Me, I totally believe that Jesus is the son of God. He is my savior.
vs23 - denying yourself. What is it when you deny yourself? Absolutely nothing in the negative. Jesus is telling us that we need to deny the sinful nature we have. Don't allow ourselves to do the things that the world wants us to do.
vs24 - loosing your life but saving it? This can be so confusing. We look at loosing life as in physically dying. It's not in this point. We need to leave the sinful life we are leading behind us. If we can do this... we gain our salvation.
vs25 - gaining the whole world... what is in the world that you can take with you when you die? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So, why do we want to have better things than everyone else? We need to give up the worldly life and live for God... not ourselves.
Luke 18: 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
How do you expect this to work out in your life? Such a difficult concept. Leaving your family (whether is wife, husband, brother, sister, mom or day) is actually leaving the way they are living if they are living a life other than for God. It's all about getting to heaven. That's the goal of a Christian. Live your life as God tells us to in the Bible. Do not do as your family in the world does.
This aspect is very important to me. Studying out this again is necessary. I do not know how many times I've ready or studied out dying to oneself. It's an ongoing process. Sin will always creep up on you. It's how you handle it that's important. I've been learning more about myself and what God is wanting me to do in my life. I know I'm living as far away from His kingdom for some reason, He's not going to share that reason with me right now, but I know one day He will.
Giving up the worldly aspects and wants is what God wants us to give up. Live for HIM not for oneself.
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