40 Days of Prayer

I Do What I Want To Do

  
"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." Luke 9:23-27

"...we have reached a time when a powerful internal, moral imperative is not easily understood. Small wonder, then that the moral imperative under which Jesus himself operated has to be explained and justified. Moreover, Christians today will understand that biblically authentic Christianity is never merely a matter of rules and regulations, of public liturgy and private morality. Biblical Christianity results in transformed men and women - men and women who, because of the power of the Spirit of God, enjoy regenerated natures. We want to please God, we want to be holy, we want to confess Jesus is Lord." D.A. Carson, Scandalous

Denying self is something we hear about often in the church. In part the concept is what creates such a negative view from the outside for the church. Denying oneself comes with the idea that it is something we don't want to do so being a Christian is all about doing things you don't want to do. Can't wait to join, right?! Christians know and understand that this is not the truth. False religion focuses on rules and regulation that make us appear right and righteous on the outside - "See how much I love God." Men and women transformed by the power of God understand that to deny yourself is to find yourself, to die is to live, and in giving, we receive (Carson). It is one of the unfathomable truths of Christianity that we want to do this - it is powerful; it is internal and it is imperative - and despite how often we fail, God continues to move and work within us - "See how much God loves me."

Pray that our love and actions as a church reflect this want and the joy we find in serving Christ.