Following, Denying, and Taking Up Our Cross, Part 3
In my previous post, I discussed the idea of being a Christ-follower, which is often based on the following statement by Jesus:
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24, NRSV. Also, see Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)
In this article, I would like to continue the discussion by focusing on what is meant by the phrase denying self. Denying self is interpreted in various ways, but most have in common that we must deny our desires, our will, and our impulses. We must say no to ourselves and say yes to God. Some say it is becoming more like Jesus in holiness and obedience to God. This self-denial is often portrayed as a discipline for the Christian. Sometimes, to deny oneself is characterized by fasting and prayer, giving to the poor, and living modestly. While there is some truth in these thoughts, there is also a major problem.
Nowhere does the New Testament say we must deny ourselves after we become saints. When we are reborn, we are made new creatures in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Rather than deny ourselves, we are to profess Christ Jesus, live our life by faith in Him, and walk or are guided by the Spirit (Galatians 2:20, 5:16, 5:24-25, Colossians 2:6-7). Even with the miracle of our new birth, we often feel there is part of ourselves or our identity that we need to deny. For example, below is a statement made by a Christian writer and apologist on a recent podcast:
The joy of following Jesus – there’s just nothing that can compare to that, even though our sinful flesh is kind of always at war with the Spirit of God that’s working in our lives. (Alisa Childers, The Alisa Childers Podcast, #68 at 32:15)
I believe the person who made this statement is a saint who holds to Christ’s gospel message. However, this statement indicates a belief that the saints have some sort of ongoing hostility with God. Regrettably, in my experience, this is a sentiment of many saints. But what does this statement have to do with denying ourselves? A logical inference of believing a part of our identity is still sinful flesh would be that we need to deny that part of ourselves. Why do many saints feel this way? I think it is an unintentional distortion of Scripture that impacts so many saint’s lives. I believe the misunderstanding may be due to how we have been taught. Also, we may not have examined Scripture ourselves to discern truth from error. So, what does the New Testament say about the Spirit warring against the flesh:
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (Galatians 5:17, NASB®)
Seems clear cut, so what is the problem? The problem is that, once again, we have taken this verse out of context. We need to remember why Paul is writing to the Galatians. The church was being infiltrated by people telling them that they needed to keep the Mosaic Law. Paul is reminding the Galatians what life under the Law is like.
Look at the very next statement by Paul:
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:18, NASB®)
This verse seems out of place, and I rarely hear Christians quote it when they talk about the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. Why would Paul make this statement about the Law? It is apparent that the struggle is real, but it is also clear that this battle is connected with living under the Law. Paul's entire purpose for writing to the Galatians was to show them that life under the Law, and in the flesh was not how saints live their lives:
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:18, NASB®)
This message harkens back to Paul's letter to the Romans, where he describes life under the Law in comparison to life in the Spirit:
For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. (Romans 7:5, NASB®)
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8, NASB®)
Also, see my article, How Did We Get Here Part 2 Identity Crisis.
But this is no longer who we are as reborn saints, as partakers of the divine nature. Paul’s reminders in the same letter to the Romans are clear:
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. (Romans 8:9, NASB®, bold added for emphasis)
And:
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (Romans 8:12, NASB®)
Similarly, Paul reminds the Galatians:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, NASB®)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:24-25, NRSV)
He also told the Colossians:
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Colossians 2:9-12, NASB®, bold added for emphasis)
Part of the problem with thinking we need to continue to deny ourselves as saints is confusion about the flesh and its connection to our identity. The flesh often refers to our body or physical being. As saints, we will get a new body when Christ returns, but this passage does not talk about that event. It is talking about now, about what happens when we become a new creation. So, if the flesh can be removed from us and put to death in Christ, there must be another aspect to it. In the Scriptures listed above, three things are evident about the flesh.
First, there is the connection with keeping the Law, in other words, relying solely on religious activity to relate to God. Those in the flesh try to connect to God by obeying God’s Law and practicing religious rituals. These activities are not necessarily bad, but repeatedly the New Testament writers describe the futility of relating to God only this way.
Second, the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit indicates that being “in the flesh” is the opposite of being “in the Spirit.” So, the flesh could be described as the human way of being apart from Christ. It often has bad effects (Galatians 5:19-21), but it can also include actions and behaviors that are viewed positively (Philippians 3:4-6). The bottom line is no matter if the behavior is bad or good, people in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).
Third, this reliance only on a human way of being was cured by Jesus. The flesh was removed from us by the spiritual circumcision of Christ. We don’t need to rely solely on religious activity to relate to God, and we don’t need to succumb to the evil deeds of the flesh. This removal occurred when we were crucified, buried, and raised with Jesus. The flesh is no longer our identity, and it has no power over us. We have freedom from our broken humanity, and we have the power of the Holy Spirit. We may believe these things are true, but we may still ask why we sometimes behave badly and why holy living seems like such a struggle.
In my experience, I believe a big part of our failure to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit instead of the deeds of the flesh has three primary causes. I think we suffer from a case of mistaken identity; we lack an understanding of how to walk in the Spirit, and we misunderstand our struggle.
First, regarding our identity, I have written several articles in this blog. I can’t repeat all that I discussed, but I will reiterate that what God did in us is truly miraculous. In the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit, we are new people. We were washed, we were sanctified, and we were justified (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). That is, our sin was completely removed from us; we were set apart as holy to God, and we were made righteous. Part of our faith is knowing this describes us as saints. We don’t just believe in Jesus for salvation; we believe in Him for life (Galatians 2:20).
Second, we have seen the verses (some of them referenced above) that talk about walking in the Spirit. However, the Bible does not explicitly say how we do it. Once again, we need to look at the passages that talk about how we walk or live as saints. This could probably be a separate article, but I believe we can consider a few passages in the New Testament that instruct us how to walk in our new identity. We walk in faith, in a manner worthy of God’s calling, in good works, in love, as children of light, and as wise people (2 Corinthians 5, Galatians 5, Ephesians 2, 4, & 5). I hope it is evident that we walk, or live our life, first by faith in Jesus. Our walk isn’t a work for God; it results from the work God has done in us through Christ. We must believe Paul’s warning to the Galatians. We don’t become saints by believing in Jesus and then live as if we were still in the flesh.
Finally, the battle is not between the Holy Spirit and us. Yes, we make an effort, and life is often a struggle. However, our goodness comes from our new character as God’s children empowered by His Spirit. The fight is our spirit alongside the Holy Spirit against the flesh, sin, and spiritual forces of wickedness. These are powers that are no longer part of us. Perhaps this is best summed up in Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, NASB®).
The reference above includes our own flesh and blood. We are not at war with ourselves. As we look at the New Covenant, it is clear that Christ’s work is complete and we are no longer at odds with God. Yes, we need to grow in the knowledge of God and in faith, but we have everything we need for life and Godliness (2 Peter 1).
It may come across that I don’t think denial is part of the lives of the saints. We have the responsibility to deny something, but it is not ourselves:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14, NASB®, bold added for emphasis)
Our new and true self is eager for good deeds and to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. We may get sinful thoughts and desires, but we must be confident these are not from ourselves and are not part of our identity in Christ. These are from the flesh, sin, and spiritual forces of evil. We are not obligated to give in to them.
I hope this article gives you confidence that we are good, and as we walk in the Spirit, our behavior can be good. Growth in goodness is part of the transformation by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). This transformation is evident as we see in ourselves the image of Christ more clearly (2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
I realize this article was a little longer, but it is so important, and there is still more to say about the concept of denying concerning our lives as saints. In my next post, I continue the discussion and will write about taking up our cross. Thank you for reading and considering these thoughts. Please pray for me as I desire to help the church understand our true Identity in Christ.