What does it mean to deny self and take up the cross and follow Jesus?

Authors: Johnson and Pearl, Bible teachers and founders of:
The Pure Gospel and Revival website
www.repent-pray-revival.org

2023/5/1

You should read this first:

There are 35 NT scriptures that require repentance before salvation

There are 35 NT scriptures that require repentance before salvation

Luke 9:23-25 NKJV

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

24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

Deny self: means to say no to your sinful life.

It means to say no to sin in your heart, mind, will, body.

It means to surrender your will to God, so that not your will, but the Father’s will be done in your life.

It means to surrender the lordship and ownership of your life to God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Take up one’s cross daily: means to lose or surrender your life to God daily for Jesus’s sake.(Luke 9:24) It means to empty yourself on the cross as Jesus did.

Luke 9:24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

All sinners live in sin everyday. They think, imagine, talk about, and commit sin everyday in their rebellion to God’s moral law and God-given conscience.

But if you willing to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus, this means you are willing to let your old sinful life “die” on the cross in exchange for a new life with righteousness and holiness.(1 Corinthians 1:30)

To take up one’s cross daily also means to crucify your flesh’s sinful passions, sinful desires, and sinful habits to the cross daily.

Simply put, to say no to sin daily, and say yes to Jesus daily!

Galatians 5:24 NKJV

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV

“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Romans 6:4 NKJV

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”