The Connection between Denial & Discipleship

Assert yourself. Promote yourself. Esteem yourself. The posture of our culture is that self is good and positive. Thus, self-fulfillment is the ultimate goal in life. Therefore, anything that stands in the way of this goal needs to be avoided and, if necessary, beaten away. The overwhelming majority of hyphenated words in the dictionary that begin with ‘self-’ are in the ‘self is always good’ category.

When this attitude is imported into the life of the follower of Christ, it produces a discipleship in which Jesus is expected to work and act as a bellhop. His job is to help the person find the self-fulfillment that is being pursued. This reduces Jesus to a personal attendant to tend to our wants and meet our desires. It is, in essence, self-discipleship. A pseudo-Christianity, a nominal Christianity is the sad result.

The Bible presents the opposite as the connection with discipleship.

• Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Self-denial, viewed as a phobia by the world, is promoted. The Bible is clear that ‘self’ is the problem, not the solution. ‘Self’ is the enemy, not the friend. Sin has seen to that. Self asserting itself is the very essence of sin.

When we admit that our direction is the wrong way and begin following Jesus as He leads, discipleship is underway. When we understand that our mind is corrupted by the fall and begin to seek the Lord’s wisdom through the Bible, discipleship is underway. When we find ourselves looking less and less to ourselves and more and more to Jesus, discipleship is underway.

The connection between denial and discipleship is for our good. It rescues us from our worst enemy – ourselves. For the disciple of Christ, the closer you are following Him, the better it is for you. When you are promoting self, you are going the wrong way. When you are following Jesus, you are going the right way.

The Connection between Adoration & Attitude

It has been a challenging week. Family struggles and vocational frustrations have taken their toll. Even with some kick-back time on Saturday, when Saturday evening rolls around you realize that your attitude is still not right. You think about going to church tomorrow morning and conclude that with the state of your attitude, attempting to engage in adoration and worship would be hypocritical. What do you do? Do you go the church and go through the motions? Do you stay home?

What is the connection between adoration and attitude? The Bible has some answers for us. As in a number of issues we face as followers of Christ, we begin with a vitally important foundational consideration. It is the battle between being God-centered and me-centered. Is my focus on God or me?

• Adoration is God-centered and Christ-focused.
• Attitude, robbed of its spiritual oversight, is me-centered and circumstance-focused.

We use the word adoration as an umbrella term that covers worship, praise and celebration. The Bible presents this activity as a vital staple in our spiritual habits. The more we engage in adoration, the more we focus on our Lord. The more we focus on our Lord, the less we focus on ourselves and our circumstances.

• "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” (Psalm 95:2)

• “Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.” (2 Chronicles 16:28-29)

When this takes place, the exhortation of Philippians 2 begins to take root in our spiritual lives.

• “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5).

Jesus, in His incarnation, displayed an attitude that was patently God-centered.

Adoration is a major weapon in combating the attitude struggles we face. Adoration provides the spiritual oversight for the Lord to keep our attitude Christ-centered. To cease adoration until our attitude is corrected is to play into the strategy of our arch-enemy. Anything he can do to get us to stay home from church and to cease in our daily personal adoration of the Lord will bring a sadistic smile to his face.

Invest time into your daily personal worship and adoration. Go to church. Be an active participant in the worship service. Be a follower of Christ who experiences an attitude that is saturated with adoration of Christ.

"Lord, help us to deepen our adoration so that we will ‘be made new in the attitude of our minds’” (Ephesians 4:23).