deny

Nations Day 2 Out Of Darkness: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Out Of Darkness!

The Questions

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)

Luke 9:23-26

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Original Intent

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)
Jesus intended to be very clear in His statements by using the imagery of a cross as He spoke to those gathered around Him. All who wanted to follow Him must understand it involved denying one’s self and daily taking up their cross. To Jesus’ first audience, “cross” wasn’t a lovely symbol to hang around your neck or a decoration for your wall space. Rather, “cross” instantly brought to mind the cruelest form of death and torture known at the time. To “take up a cross” meant death. To take it up “daily” was altogether confusing to Jesus’ listeners as Christ Himself had not yet been crucified on a cross. However, one day, these listeners would look back after Jesus had died and been resurrected. Then they would understand a fuller picture of His words. Jesus meant for us to die to our sinful, natural selves and daily surrender to the new work of His Holy Spirit within us. “If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) Christ wanted His listeners to understand that true disciples were committing to making a radical decision to deny themselves and then live this out daily. Jesus demonstrated this when He literally took up a physical cross in complete surrendered obedience to the Father’s will. “Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely.” (Isaiah 53:10) There was no self-focus in Jesus’ willful act of surrender, and His disciples were instructed to live out their daily surrender to Him in the same way. Bible scholar, W. Hendricksen, notes that Jesus made His clear statements to an audience of believers and non-believers. Whether His listeners chose to follow Him as disciples or not, their eternity was still at stake.

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)
No one listening to Jesus that day was interested in “losing their life”, just as much as none of us reading this today would like to sign up to “lose”. This is exactly why Jesus chose such extreme language to communicate the all-important decision of following Him. He insisted that if anyone truly wants to save their life and win, they must surrender it to Him. Only by trying to hold onto their lives and their way would they actually end up losing everything. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told a story of a man who felt he was truly “winning at life” by piling up his material goods and pleasurable experiences. This man felt he had a long life ahead to enjoy everything, but God came to him and said, “You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20) The man’s selfish way of living life cost him everything in the end, even his eternity with God. Jesus pointed His listening audience toward real, lasting hope when He said, “but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” (verse 24, emphasis mine) The process of losing our life to Christ is costly and painful as our fleshly, sinful desires are crucified. But as the Lord refines us, and teaches us to love Him first and most, we find ourselves whole, healed, and truly free! In surrender, we will ultimately experience great joy for His peace is greater than any sinful thing we give up. The sweetness of living life with the Holy Spirit working within us far outweighs any sin we think is better than Him.

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)
For a time during Jesus’ earthly ministry, it was popular to follow Him. He drew large crowds, everyone knew Him, and His miracles were known far and wide across the region. Everyone was talking about this miracle working prophet. But, Jesus’ mission wasn’t focused on fame and popularity. He regularly preached difficult messages and confronted people in their sin, offering them a chance to come into the Light, to be known and loved, and walk in newness of a surrendered life. Following Jesus when it was popular was easy. Following Him when He claimed to be God Himself and was facing death was quite another. Even Jesus’ disciples all fled from Him, and Peter denied Him, when crucifixion became imminent. (Matthew 26:56, Luke 22:54-62) When Jesus spoke of being “ashamed” of Him, He intended His audience to understand that if they were to continue in their choice not to follow Him, this equaled being ashamed of Him and His teachings of truth. To not follow Him means to be ashamed of Him. It is to be so proud of one’s ownership of their life that they refuse to live in surrender to Him or His words. At His return, Christ will justly condemn and reject those who rejected Him. The importance of how we respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him cannot be underestimated! Will we choose to live for ourselves on our own strength, or will we daily choose His ways and His path? Our world is very topsy-turvy, and many consider it easier to rebuff Jesus and His message so as to continue living for self. In denying ourselves and following Jesus, we will be rejecting the pattern of this world, which means we can expect ostracism, conflict and social dishonor. Yet, we remain confident that Christ will not be ashamed, or reject, us in the end because we have chosen to surrender to Him.

Everyday Application

1) Follow, deny, and take up sound rigorous. What do they mean in real life? (verse 23)
To follow means to attach ourselves to Jesus as His disciple, it requires denying our sin nature and remembering it has been crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) We are to live continually crucified of all sinful patterns of life that do not harmonize with God and His ways of love. (2 Corinthians 10:5-6) Living lives of surrendered following and self-denial as we take up the cross of Jesus, means that, regardless of what we encounter, we are to trust Christ and His ways over our own. We are to choose His commands for life as we worship Him for His great gift of salvation to us. (Ephesians 4:32-5:2) Crucifying our old nature with Christ means surrendering our bent to rely on ourselves, our abilities, and our logic. It’s the attitude of “I can do this, and I don’t need anyone”. Boy, oh boy, does this ever hit home in my own life! God is gracious by letting me fail on my own, then bringing me back to the reality that I can only follow Him when I surrender my ways to His. It’s impossible to follow Jesus without the power of Christ at work in me! We are to give ourselves away for the gospel! I pray my legacy for my children, grandchildren, and others would be my surrender to Christ so He could amplify His strength in my life. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Jesus is worth surrendering everything for! In surrender to a loving God, we don’t need to fear for His perfect love will never leave us! (1 John 4:18, Matthew 28:20)

2) What does it mean to lose one’s life? What is the cost involved? (verse 24)
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He had a slogan, if you will, “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” This was the theme of the messages He preached as He ventured from city to city. The crux of His message then is just as important for us now. Jesus is not interested in “casual Christians”. Only those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus in full are genuine. Of course, because we still love our old sin nature, and we forget that Jesus died for us, even true Christians still sin. But Christ stands ready to forgive! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Even this returning to Jesus in humble repentance isn’t possible without His Spirit at work within those who have given themselves to Christ. True followers are marked by God’s Spirit at work in them as they surrender daily to His will. Living for ourselves, following our agendas and desires, refusing to deny our sin nature, and choosing not to lovingly serve others through Christ’s power is to live in opposition to God. None who follow this pattern of life can claim to also follow Jesus. “If we say, “We have fellowship with Him (God),” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” (1 John 1:6) We must not miss the seriousness of this distinction! Living separate from God is dangerous! If we die in our sinful state, we will earn eternity apart from God; this equals pain, brokenness, and shattering loss for ALL eternity! The cost of surrender may feel high and painful, but the price tag that comes with an eternity separated from Him isn’t even worth comparing!

3) Is being ashamed of Jesus really possible? (verse 26)
When we choose not to be ashamed of Jesus by surrendering our lives to Him, we are free to anchor our lives in steadfast truth. We no longer need to be carried away by every wind of doctrine or whim of peer pressure around us. As we continue living daily in surrender to God’s Spirit within us, the Lord leads us to give our lives away for Him. One mark of knowing we do indeed belong to Jesus and haven’t rejected Him is the desire to boldly tell others of the forgiveness found in Christ. Sharing about God’s redemption in our lives can be scary, but when we consider that someone’s life for eternity hangs in the balance, we can choose to courageously explain how Jesus gave Himself for all people. Remember, Jesus taught this passage to an audience of both followers and those who didn’t believe. The consequence for choosing to be “ashamed” of God’s gracious gift of salvation is an eternity separated from Him! Jesus wanted all people to know this truth, which is why He has commissioned His followers to go and tell His good news! How often in our daily lives do we shrug off Jesus by avoiding telling someone about Him because we are afraid or unsure? His forgiveness and grace are available to us when we don’t take every opportunity given to us to share the hope of Jesus, but these missed chances should strongly encourage us to share Hope all the more often with others! The Lord is intentional in giving us opportunities to share about Him with others. Pray fervently for who the Lord wants you to share the Gospel with! Be of good courage, God is building His kingdom through His followers! Praise God for His desire that all people come to Him! (2 Peter 3:9)

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Catch up with Out Of Darkness!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Nations Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Sketched IV Day 8 Peter

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 21:15-19
Mark 14:66-72
John 1:35-42 

Sketched IV, Day 8

“Simon, do you love me with a love that is selfless, pure, and passionate?
Do you love Me most?”  

My eyes lifted from my hands, meeting Jesus’ gaze. His question lingered, as the juice from the fish dripped down my forearms, my heart pounding.
I couldn’t stop the scene playing out in my mind’s eye as I recalled the darkest moment in my life…
—
“Aren’t you one of His disciples?” she asked as I walked into courtyard where Jesus was. I quickly shook my head, “I’m not!” But guilt consumed me. 
I am. I am His disciple. 
But I didn’t want to die.  

“Aren’t you one of His disciples?” I was asked again. “No!” I insisted. 
“But I saw you in the garden with Jesus,” another said.
“No, you didn’t! I do not know this Man!”  

The rooster crowed. Just as He’d said it would. 
I had denied my Lord three times. 
…
“Lord, You know I love you as a friend and brother,” I respond quickly, my focus returning.  

Yet, my heart would not be stilled.
How could I say I love Him selflessly?
How could I say I love Him most?
I denied Him when He needed me most.  

But Jesus continued, 

“Feed my lambs, Simon.”

His words brought a new scene to mind. It was winter, and we were listening to Jesus as we walked the grand colonnade of Solomon’s temple. His words, as always, had arrested my wandering attention.
…
“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers… The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:1-10)
…
Feed His lambs? But He is the Good Shepherd.
Besides, I’m a fisherman. What does this mean? 

I still can’t look Him in the eyes.
He knows me, He knows I denied Him three times, He knows I turned my back on Him.
How could He even ask if I love Him?  

Jesus was speaking again, insistently, “Simon, Son of John, do you love me with a love so strong you will put Myself before you?
Do you love me with a love so passionate, you would protect My truth and build others up with it?

My heart flew to another impossible invitation by the Lord as we’d stood by the Sea of Galilee.
It was my fishing boat, my empty nets, and His winsome offer…
…
“Hello, Peter. Would you do me a favor and let me get in your boat?”, Jesus asked.
I noticed the crowd of people behind him, moving closer and closer to Him. 
His only other option would have been to stand in the sea.  

“Yes! Of course. I haven’t caught any fish anyways; my boat is empty.”  

He asked me to row out, then He stood and began speaking to the people. I tried to listen as He talked, but I’d been awake all night fishing, exhaustion was setting in.  

Suddenly, He had my full attention as He’d turned His gaze on me, 
“Put your net out to catch some fish.” 
I was embarrassed; I’d caught nothing after an entire night’s worth of work, but who was I to say no?  

“I’ve been fishing all night and caught nothing, but I’ll try it again for you,” I shrugged and tossed the nets overboard. After a moment, my nets began to tug and tear! Fish flooded my nets! I whistled to our boating partners, and with all of our might, we pulled loads of fish into our boats. 
There were so many we began sinking! 
A miracle! 
I’d been wondering how I would make money today and this Miracle Worker brought in enough fish to cover my wages for days! 
It was then I knew, I knew He was Lord! 

I fell to my knees, fully aware of my unworthiness and utter sinfulness; I’d begged Him to leave. How could He even associate with me?  

“Do not be afraid! From now on, you will be catching men.”  

I caught those fish that day, but I gave them to another local fisherman. 
Instead, I chose to follow Jesus… this man who was Lord. 
The same one I later denied…
…
“Jesus, You know I love you as my friend.” I dug deep for a response to His incessant questioning, my sorrow continuing to burn hot in my belly.
I loved Him with everything in me. But how could I convey it?  

Before I could attempt a better response, He instructed.
“Tend my sheep.”

Or was it an invitation?
Either way, He knew exactly the story His words would bring to mind.
…
“Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost? And on finding it, he lays it on his shoulder, rejoicing.” 

Jesus would leave ninety-nine sheep just to go after one. 
He would do that for me, for anyone. 
He loved the wealthy and the poor, the Jews and the Gentiles, the adulteress and the leper. 
He was more than Jesus Christ to me, He was my Lord, and my friend. 
…
Jesus saw my eyes return to His, my fish breakfast long since forgotten.  

“Simon,” He questioned slowly for the third time.
“Do you love me as your friend and as your brother?”

This time it was different.
This time, He knew the answer, and my heart was shattered.
What’s more, I knew the answer. 
I knew I just simply loved Him, and that was enough.
Wherever He took me, whatever it cost, whatever the task, I loved Him. 

“Lord, You know me; You know everything. You know I  love You.”  

Again, He invited and commanded, “Feed My sheep.”  

“Simon, the cost of following Me is your full surrender. You may lose physical freedom, but you will truly be free. FOLLOW ME.”  

Our eyes locked and I knew the depth of this invitation.
I was forgiven.
He trusted me with His sheep.
I was to make fishers of men, continuing to extend the invitation I’d been given.  

Why would I say yes?
I loved Him.
He loved me. 

Simon Peter’s life is one of transformation and sanctification that we get to watch transform through the pages of Scripture. From the quick and wordy fisherman who was called by Jesus, to the wise and heroic martyr and was an essential piece of the founding of the Church, Peter shows us that even when we fall, even when we deny Jesus, He isn’t finished with us. God’s plan for us is deep and wide. We can accomplish His purposes because of His unconditional love. 

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched IV Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched IV!

Resting Day 2
Holy Rest: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s Journey Post? Check out Holy Rest!

Mark 8:34-38 English Standard Version (ESV)

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The Questions

1) What does it mean to deny oneself?

2) What does it mean to take up one’s cross?

3) In verse 35, is Jesus talking about physical life or something else?

4) What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus in this passage?

The Findings for Intention

1) What does it mean to deny oneself?
Using a Bible dictionary, we see that in this case, deny means “to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests.” Jesus is saying that to truly follow Him, you have to love Him more than you love yourself, and care about His purposes more than you care about your own interests.

2) What does it mean to take up one’s cross?
To a first-century Jew, a cross meant one thing—an instrument of death. Crucifixion was a well-known form of capital punishment, and criminals were made to carry the cross upon which they would be executed. When Jesus tells his followers that they must take up their cross, He is saying that they must be prepared to submit to the weight of the sufferings and persecutions that come with being a Christ-follower. The cost of following Jesus means laying down selfish ambition and pride and choosing instead to surrender to the Savior. For some, it might even mean literal death.

3) In verse 35, is Jesus talking about physical life or something else?
Verse 36 gives the answer here. Christ is talking about physical life and the eternal soul. If a person is concerned about saving his physical life, and determines that following Christ carries too great a cost, he will lose his eternal soul (when he dies and is separated from Christ forever in hell). But a person who regards Christ and the gospel as worthy of giving his life for will save his eternal soul, even if he physically dies. This is not to say that martyrs go to heaven simply because they were martyrs—that is a works-based salvation that is not taught anywhere in the Bible. But those who spend their lives for Christ show by their actions that their hearts truly believe and trust in Him. Amassing great wealth and accomplishments in this world will not help you in eternity if your soul is not hidden in Christ.

4) What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus in this passage?
Using the context of this passage, being ashamed of Jesus means rejecting Him and His message. Christ was not the valiant, conquering king that the Jewish people were expecting their Messiah to be. Instead, He was telling them that following Him would involve suffering—and this message made many people ashamed of Him, unwilling to lose their earthly lives for His sake.

The Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to deny oneself?
Do I truly deny myself daily to follow Christ? Or am I just trying to fit Him in around my own interests? Consider ways you have been usurping Christ’s rightful place as king of your heart by placing yourself on the throne. Where have you pushed Him aside to let you and your own agendas reign?

2) What does it mean to take up one’s cross?
Understanding the Gospel and knowing God better make it easy to choose a cross over an easy life. If you are feeling afraid of suffering, your view of God may need to increase. Ask God to show Himself to you through His word and through those around you this week. The glory we will one day gain, far surpasses any suffering we might endure here on earth; the question we need to answer is, are we all in for Christ?

3) In verse 35, is Jesus talking about physical life or something else?
It can be so difficult to keep our attention away from pursuing the comforts of this life more than the purposes of Christ. Is there something in your life that you have placed above Christ? Repent of your idolatry, and ask Him to help you seek Him first.

4) What does it mean to be ashamed of Jesus in this passage?
Even those of us who have already placed our faith and trust in Christ can still be tempted to be ashamed of Him. When we choose not to tell someone about Him because we are afraid of what they might think of us, we are showing that we are still somewhat ashamed of Him. Ask God to make you fully convinced that He is better than any comfort, and ask Him to help you to glorify Him in front of everyone!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Resting Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Resting!