Denial

In the world, denial is a bad thing. People that are in denial are those that refuse to accept certain truths about themselves or the world around them. They live in La La Land which is just east of the Denial River. They create their own reality and make themselves at home, all the while denying what everyone else can clearly see.

Denial can be deliberate blindness to the facts of a situation.

The gospel brings denial full circle. When we were presented with the gospel, we had to admit certain truths about ourselves or the way we lived or how we processed reality or all three of those things. We had to admit that we were sinners in need of a Savior; something that many of us would have denied in our previous lives. It was hard. It was joyful. It was freeing. The release from denial is much like purging a bad taco, but I digress.

As Christians though, in our saved state, we are asked once again go back into denial. Yes that's right. Jesus demands it if we are to be His followers.

Luke 9:23-25

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

You see, even though we are saved and free, we still live in bodies that desire sin, that desire that old way of life. There is still a certain longing for what we had before Jesus set us free. 

Jesus says we have to put those things to death by denying the desires that come from our corrupted flesh. We must instead follow Him.

This is what it means to take up your cross. In the ancient Roman world, when a man took up a cross, he was going to his own death. Likewise, we must die to the realities daily presented to us by our bodies of sin. We have to crucify them, deny them and walk toward Jesus.

If you are a Christian, denial becomes the completion of what you are becoming; a Son of the Living God. Denial is a good thing. But it's hard to let go of the desires of the flesh. It can hurt. It can be painful. It can be lonely. It can be strenuous. Such is our slow death on our crosses. Crucifixion is messy, public, embarrassing and tortuous. 

But we must die, we must deny, if we want to really Live.

And so it goes...denial, in the long run, can be good. Die to yourself. Live for Him.