Deny Yourself

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). First, deny, renounce, and turn away from self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-preservation, self-identity, self-centeredness, self-gratification, self-esteem, self�preoccupation, self-image, self-indulgence, self-interest, and self-righteousness. In short, die to self (identity, preferences, rights, pride, lust, and haughtiness). "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). "It is the things that are right and noble and good from the natural stand point that keep us back from God's best. To discern that natural virtues antagonize surrender to God, is to bring our soul into the centre of its greatest battle. Very few of us debate with the sordid and evil and wrong, but we do debate with the good. It is the good that hates the best, and the higher up you get in the scale of the natural virtues, the more intense is the opposition to Jesus Christ."²¹⁷ "Deliverance from sin is not deliverance from human nature. There are things in human nature, such as prejudices, which the saint has to destroy by neglect; and other things which have to be destroyed by violence, i.e., by the Divine strength imparted by God's Spirit. There are some things over which we are not to fight, but to stand still in and see the salvation of God; but every theory or conception which erects itself as a rampart against the knowledge of God is to be determinedly demolished by drawing on God's power, not by fleshly endeavour or compromise."²⁷⁸

One of the major problems of our lives is our tendency to evaluate our pattern of preference as being superior (or perhaps inferior) to the pattern of others. ... We expect others to conform to our norm, to be like us, to approach life in our way. Alternatively (and usually pathologically), we think that we should be like others and relate to the world and respond to life as they do. Worse than either of these, however, is our tendency to view alternate patterns of preference as "unusual," perhaps "wrong," and then even "evil." When this happens, we are in serious trouble.²⁷⁹

Second, take up his cross; that is, willingly embrace that the path to righteousness and sanctification—to perfection—includes suffering. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). And third, follow Jesus Christ in mature and true faith: a faith that is based the wisdom of God and on serving God and others, and not on serving self. The wisdom of God can only be received by a Christian through study, faith and obedience tested through suffering. We have to cast down "every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God"; that is, we have to disagree with Satan (Matthew 18:19) by renouncing the "the hidden things of dishonesty" (2 Corinthians 4:1-2): "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" (John 12:24). Paul states, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). "It begins with the arduous process of dismantling the false self which tried, through various neurotic strategies, to make itself at home in the wrong place."²⁸⁰ "This dying process accomplishes two things. First, it undermines our dependence on material things; second, it renders our strategies of self-deception less and less efficient."²⁸¹ "It is important, however, to understand that the process of mortification, of dying to self (or better, self-simplification), can easily degenerate into a game the ego often plays to keep itself at the center of our attention: the game of self-rejection. To call it a game is not to deny its seriousness and power."²⁸² The basis of true self-surrender is recognizing that God loves us and that he has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). We invite you to begin to define yourself in terms of your future—conformed to the image of Christ—instead of your past. We start the process by offering the following fervent prayer to the Lord (phrases in parentheses are optional):

"Father, in the name of Jesus, I confess that I am not my own and that I have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. As such, I reaffirm that Jesus Christ is the Lord and

I renounce my right to exercise my will counter to the will of God;
I renounce my right to justify myself;
I renounce my right to glorify myself;
I renounce my right to receive honor from men;
I renounce my right to not love;
I renounce my right to not obey God and his Word;
I renounce my right to not believe God and his Word;
I renounce my right to not suffer for the sake of righteousness;
I renounce my right to not be perfect (or to not be righteous and holy);
I renounce my right to not read and study the Word of God;
I renounce my right to not pray and fast;
I renounce my right to be right;
I renounce my right to have thoughts, opinions, decisions, and beliefs that do not come from God;
I renounce my right to please myself;
I renounce my right to satisfy my desires;
I renounce my right to trust my feelings (or to trust my carnal mind);
I renounce my right to compare myself to others;
I renounce my right to judge myself and others;
I renounce my right to avenge myself; and
I renounce my right to have rights outside of those authorized by God."

This prayer may have to be repeated often until you fully believe and agree with each renouncement. To aid in this, let us examine the corresponding scriptures for each renouncement.

I renounce my right to exercise my will counter to the will of God

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:50)

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

I renounce my right to justify myself

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. (Job 9:20)

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)

I renounce my right to glorify myself

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. (Proverbs 27:2)

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. (Psalm 86:12)

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. (John 7:18)

I renounce my right to receive honor from men

I receive not honour from men. (John 5:41)

How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? (John 5:44)

I renounce my right to not love

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31)

I renounce my right to not obey God and his Word

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)

I renounce my right to not believe God and his Word

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

I renounce my right to not suffer for the sake of righteousness

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:16-18)

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:9-11)

I renounce my right to not be perfect (or to not be righteous and holy)

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)

I renounce my right to not read and study the Word of God

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. (1 Timothy 4:13)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

I renounce my right to not pray and fast

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:18)

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:16-18)

I renounce my right to be right

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. ... Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:3, 16)

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (1 Corinthians 6:7)

I renounce my right to have thoughts, opinions, decisions, and beliefs that do not come from God

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)

I renounce my right to please myself

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Romans 15:1-3)

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4)

I renounce my right to satisfy my desires

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)

I renounce my right to trust my feelings (or to trust my carnal mind)

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:6-77)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)

I renounce my right to compare myself to others

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (2 Corinthians 10:12)

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

I renounce my right to judge myself and others

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (Luke 6:37)

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (James 4:11)

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. (James 5:9)

I renounce my right to avenge myself

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you (2 Thessalonians 1:6)

I renounce my right to have rights

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:9-10)

Moreover, personal offence can bring additional "victim's rights" that also must be rejected: "blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me" (Luke 7:23). Anger, shame, guilt, anxiety, fear, or woundedness opens us up to the temptation to judge and to retaliate: to feel justified in returning, repaying, recompensing offence for offence. "But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:20-24). Wherefore, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:17-19). There may be other, less obvious, "rights" that you will also have to renounce. These may be related to your race, gender, family, social status, political affiliation, social affiliation and nationality. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).

"Father, in the name of Jesus, in addition to the rights I have just renounced,

I renounce my belief that God owes me something;
I renounce my belief that God cannot be trusted (or that God is a liar);
I renounce my belief that God is unfair;
I renounce my belief that God is against women;
I renounce my belief that Paul, the apostle, was against women;
I renounce my belief that sin is acceptable;
I renounce my belief that I cannot be perfect as commanded by God;
I renounce my belief that I am just a human with weakly flesh ("only human");
I renounce my belief in confidence in the things of the flesh;
I renounce my belief that I can be perfect by myself;
I renounce my belief in escaping from my troubles;
I renounce my belief that I have to defend myself against others;
I renounce my belief that I have to rely on myself only;
I renounce my belief that I have to provide for myself;
I renounce my belief that the Word of God was written by man;
I renounce my belief that prayer is not important;
I renounce my belief that fasting is not important;
I renounce my belief that giving is not important;
I renounce my belief that reading and studying the Word is not important;
I renounce my belief in human rights as defined by the world;
I renounce my belief in civil rights as defined by the world;
I renounce my belief in equal rights as defined by the world;
I renounce my belief that I am inferior or superior to any other person based on race, gender, intelligence, income, family, or spiritual gifts and callings;
I renounce my desire for worldly independence;
I renounce my envy of the prosperity of the wicked;
I renounce my desire for worldly success;
I renounce my desire to be rich;
I renounce my love of money;
I renounce capitalism;
I renounce my worldly identity which includes my identity based on race, gender, intelligence, income, or family;
I renounce racism, sexism, chauvinism, feminism;
I renounce my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America;
I renounce my allegiance to the republic of the United States of America;
I renounce my allegiance to my fraternity (or sorority) and to its oath, songs, and traditions;
I renounce my allegiance to all other social or quasi-religious groups that are not in Christ;
I renounce Roman Catholicism;
I renounce Calvinism (the belief that I have already attained salvation);
I renounce Pentecostalism;
I renounce my allegiance to my prior church(es) and pastor(s);
I renounce all feelings of disloyalty to my prior church(es) and pastor(s)."

After all these renouncements, let us join together and confess anew our faith: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, in the name of Jesus, I confess that I receive you as my Father and submit myself to you as your son (or daughter)."

DRAFT V2010-08-13T12:18:24 PM