Jesus said carry the cross!
What does it mean to deny yourself daily, take up your cross and follow Jesus? Deny yourselves and take up your cross means to die out to your flesh daily.
Take up your cross was a familiar concept to everyone in Jesus’ time, and when Jesus used the cross as an example, that way people would understand what take up your cross really meant.
The Romans executed people this way in the public, they used the way of Crucifixion to dissuade people from doing similar crimes. Victims died a painful, gruesome, public death on a cross.
Every day we are to die to ourselves, to our selfish ways and ambitions, and live a life that is not centered on yourself, but a life that is God-centered.
The modern world teaches people from when they are young that pleasure-seeking, entertainment, and material goods and wealth are the daily expectations.
The Bible teaches not to love the world and if you do love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. This means that many professing Christians today have not the love of God in them.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
The desires of a God-centered person are altered by the truth in the Bible, which transforms them by the renewing of their minds.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Being born again by the word of God and daily growing thereby.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If your reading this article and living for yourself and not God-centered then there is still time to repent and take up your cross and follow Jesus.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved and gave himself for me.
Rom 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Jesus said carry the cross!