DENYING ONESELF

Those who do not deny themselves cannot follow Christ. For choosing to follow Jesus and to actually follow Him springs from no ordinary courage.

Those who deny themselves wipe out their former wicked lives. For example, those who once were immoral deny their immoral selves and become self-controlled forever. 

Those who have become righteous don't confess themselves but Christ. Those who find wisdom, because they posses wisdom, also confess Christ. And those who "with the heart believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confession unto salvation," and testify for Christ's works by confessing them to others will be confessed by Christ before His Father in heaven.

As a result, let every thought, every purpose, every word, and every action become a denial of ourselves and a testimony about Christ and in Christ. 

I am persuaded that the perfect person's every action is a testimony to Christ Jesus and that abstinence from every sin is a denial of self, leading to Christ. Those people are crucified with Christ. They take up their own crosses to follow Him who, for our sake, bore His own cross. 

Origen

(02-12-04)