Daily Devotional For Friday, May 24, 2024

Well, you made it to Fabulous Friday and for many of you  with it being a Memorial Day weekend, you might even have Monday off as well. One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:23, “And He said to all, `If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (ESV). I memorized this verse back in 1984 in a Discipleship Ministry called MasterLife. Jesus says in order to be His disciples, we must do three things:

1. First, we must as a disciple deny ourselves. Many people, even Christians,  misunderstand what Jesus means here. Jesus is not saying we are to deny ourselves earthly pleasures or possessions.  To deny oneself means I submit my agenda and desires to Jesus Christ’s agenda and desires. It means I am willing to surrender to what Jesus Christ wants by saying “yes” to what He wants and as well as saying “no” to what I want. Christianity is no adherence to rules, rituals or regulations. Christianity is the adoption of some kind of philosophy or policy, but submission to the person of Jesus Christ. To deny myself means I willingly submit to complete and absolute obedience to the person of Jesus Christ.
2. Second, we must be willing as a disciple to take up our cross. In Jesus’ day, the cross was a very graphic image of execution and death. Roman executioners forced a condemned person to carry their own cross to the site of their own execution, crucifixion and death. To take up one’s cross was to execute one’s agenda, plans, desires, wishes and will to the person of Jesus Christ.
3. Third, we must be willing as a disciple to follow Christ daily. Jesus was very intentional with this word. This is the Greek New Testament word [ἀκολουθέω, akoloutheo] and it literally means “to move behind some and go in the same footsteps of.” The idea is to do as that person does, to follow in their or His footsteps. Jesus gave His all for the Kingdom of God, holding very loosely to all earthly things. For Jesus, it led to His death and we must be willing to let it lead to our death also if asked. 

I really like what pastor and author John MacArthur says about Luke 9:23:

“What is most striking about the Lord’s call to discipleship is that it demands radical self-denial, perhaps to the point of dying, while also living in complete obedience to His commands. That puts the true gospel, preached by Jesus, in sharp contrast with the contemporary pseudo-gospel of self-fulfillment popularly proclaimed and received by many who identify themselves as Christians. Such false teachers in effect view [see Luke 6–10] the Lord as little more than a utilitarian genie, who grants people whatever they wish. 

Some claim that Jesus wants people healthy and rich, and if they are not, it is because they have failed to claim their blessings. Others maintain that God’s primary goal is to make people feel better about themselves by elevating their self-image (as if sinners had humility issues and needed more self-love) and eliminating their negative thinking. 

Some have even called for a “new reformation,” abandoning biblical, God-centered theology in favor of an unabashedly man-centered theology of self-esteem. This “seeker-friendly” approach came along to replace the biblical gospel of salvation from sin with a set of psychological props to elevate people to fulfillment and higher life purpose. This quasi-Christian narcissism unabashedly promotes self-love, which characterizes the false teachers who preach it (2 Tim. 3:2) and focuses, as they do, on their satisfaction instead of God’s glory” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Luke,” p. 266).

Years ago I read this prayer of a godly saint that stands in sharp and opposite contrast a man-centered pseudo gospel and the real Gospel of the New Testament:

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly . . .

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive . . .

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty,

thy glory in my [humiliation] — (Source: Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision, p. xv).

In case if you are wondering, Luke 9:23 is not some rare or obscure passage in Luke. We find it also in Matthew 16:24-26 and Mark 8:34-38. The supreme goal for believers is not the development of their self-confidence by the betterment of their life perspective and situation, but following Christ no matter how severe the consequences.

Questions To Consider

1. When you hear Jesus say, “You must deny yourself,” what did you initially think and why? What do you think now and why? 
2. What in your life still needs crucifying and why?
3. Would you say you are walking behind Jesus following His footsteps? Why or why not?
4. We live in a religious culture today where there are false preachers preaching “Wealth Theology” — God wants you wealthy. Lie. “Health Theology” — God wants you healthy and sickness is due to sin and unbelief. Lie. “Stealth Theology” — God does not expect you to be out there with your faith. Just by being around you people will see you are a Christian and God’s presence is with you. Lie. The Christian life is not about us and our self-fulfillment. It is about Christ — thus the word Christ is in the word Christian. Why do you think these pseudo gospels are so appealing today rather than the real Gospel?
5. In the poem above, what stands out to you about your own life and why?

Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 16:25-26, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (26) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, please help me to deny myself, take up my cross and then follow You daily in Your footsteps wherever You lead me. I commit today to so that. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly