Denying ourselves is a crucial part of the process of coming to know Christ and achieving eternal life. It is our obligation, stemming from what God has done for us in declaring us righteous and granting us access to Him. We must respond by surrendering to Him, yielding ourselves to His will, and putting to death the deeds of the flesh. This act of denial is not something He can do for us, as it requires our active participation to build character and write His laws in our hearts and minds. This process of denying ourselves involves a painful struggle, as we face the psychological pressures and fears of discomfort when our desires scream for sinful satisfaction. It is not about asceticism or masochism, but about cutting off sin before it destroys us, guided by His Spirit. We are called to mortify our earthly nature with urgency and determination, depriving sin of its power by refusing to feed it through indulgence. Sin lives on habit, and breaking that habit can be prolonged and agonizing, yet it is essential to prevent its dominion over us. Denying ourselves also means not listening to sin's enticements, resisting its appeals before they gain strength. By refusing to entertain sinful thoughts or yield our members to sin's old mastery, we offer ourselves to God instead. This surrender is an act of sacrifice, a critical aspect of entering into the fellowship of His sufferings and being conformed to His death. Through this, we participate in the same kind of suffering He endured, which prepares us for our roles in His Kingdom and helps us to truly know Him.

Denying ourselves is a fundamental principle that Jesus Christ emphasizes as essential to following Him. He instructs that we must quit living life driven by self-centeredness, focusing instead on subordinating our clamoring ego with its preoccupation with personal desires and comforts. This means crucifying the self-centered impulses of human nature, denying the self for the sake of embracing His cause. To be ashamed of living this way of life is equivalent to being ashamed of Christ Himself. By denying ourselves, we align with the way He lives, which is to give rather than to get, reflecting the character and image of God in our actions and choices.

Denying ourselves is a vital step in walking the same path as Christ, the Head of the body, who trod a path of suffering and death. As He is, so are we in this world, being drawn step-by-step toward the death of self, which must precede a resurrection to spirit life. This death of self does not happen in one giant leap, just as Christ did not reach crucifixion in a single step; it occurs through common, everyday acts of truth and faithfulness. We face choices to deny the self, whether it means refusing to lie, steal, or break the Sabbath for personal gain, or standing apart from worldly or even church friends who urge us to turn aside from God's way. If we yield to such pressures, we risk returning to the world through everyday sins. Consider Christ's example: He did not expose Judas despite knowing of the betrayal, nor did He call upon legions of angels or rally thousands to proclaim Him king. Had He avoided the will of God, there would be no Savior for mankind. Likewise, if we avoid the will of God for us, we may simply live out our lives like Adam, facing the consequences of sin and death. We must put to death the old man, as this is how life is produced—through the death of the seed. If we die to sin, the spirit of life will be in us, leading to resurrection. Salvation is not through the flesh, which is designed to perish, but through the spirit, calling us out of death to make the right choices by faith in Him.