We often quote the verse where Jesus tells His disciples to “deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Me”, but we may wonder why we need to do that, when we have already seen saved, transformed and filled with the Holy Spirit. By connecting it to His death and resurrection, Jesus is calling us to the proof of our confession–a verification that we accept Him as Lord of our lives. Denying ourselves means aggressively putting off sin and resisting the desire to have what we want. As we do that, showing love for the Lord and others, He is gracious to bless us with four benefits that give us strength, assurance and effectiveness as disciples.
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