1 Chronicles 16:11
In Mark 8:34, we read, ”Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”
To be totally surrendered to the Lord is God’s will. This scripture and many more like it, clearly state that Christians are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus, which seems like an impossible task to fulfil. But this is what I am assured of with all my heart-God never gives us something to do that He doesn’t give us the power to accomplish it. Our Gracious, Loving Heavenly Father has given us a guarantee of success when He gave us the Holy Spirit to reside in each believer at salvation. He is the same Holy Spirit Who resided in Jesus while He was on earth. In the last few days before His crucifixion, Jesus encouraged His disciples with these words- “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth).” John 16:13
In Ephesians 5:17-18, God has given this commandment regarding the Holy Spirit, “Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” When a person has had too much to drink, he is controlled by liquor. But our Lord is commanding that we not only have the Holy Spirit but that the Holy Spirit overflows in us, controlling our every move. Every believer has the Holy Spirit living within them. But the important thing is to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The word filled in the original Greek is “Be constantly filled with the Spirit. Be filled and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit is the way we should read this sentence. Each of us needs to surrender daily to the Lord Jesus and ask for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit daily to be obedient to the command the Lord has given us.
Die Daily-In the scripture we are highlighting Mark 8:35, he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests] and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me,” commands us to die to self and live for Jesus. Luke 9:23 “And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].
This daily surrender is not an act of weakness or resignation, but a deliberate choice to align oneself with the will of God. To deny oneself and take up the cross is not merely a symbolic gesture; it is a transformative journey that redefines our priorities, our desires, and our very identity in Christ. It is through this self-denial and reliance on the Holy Spirit that believers are empowered to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and radiate His love to the world.” Unknown Author
The act of sacrifice, as outlined in Scripture, calls for a heart of humility and a commitment to serve others. In Galatians 5:22-23, the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—become evident in those who yield to the Spirit’s guidance. These virtues serve as markers of a life wholly surrendered to God, enabling believers to reflect His character through their daily actions and interactions.
Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
Conclusion-In applying this good Word in Romans 12:1-2, each of us is called by the Lord to become a living sacrifice, an example for others to follow. Each Christian is called to be obedient to the Word of God and has been given by the power of the Holy Spirit, to become what we could never, in our own strength, hope to become- living sacrifices. We can see that sacrificing ourselves on behalf of others, is an act of worship, a spiritual exercise. The more we yield our entire selves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, the more we are worshipping Jesus, and the more glory the Lord gets. So let us cling tenaciously to Jesus every moment of our lives and give Him the most honor and glory for as long as we live.
