ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

Humility disposes a person heartily and freely to acknowledge his meanness or littleness before God. He sees how fit and suitable it is that he should do this, and he dose it willingly, even with delight. - Jonathan Edwards

ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

Give thanks with a grateful heart, for all that the Lord has done.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! - RefRev

ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road. - John Henry Jowett

ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

“Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Denying Self: The Key to Happiness

The denial of oneself is not a new idea in Christian thought. We see it as a reoccurring theme in the New Testament, especially with our Lord. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus reminds his disciples of the importance of this when he says "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." The denial of self allows us to look to God first and enables us to place the will of God over our own; freeing our minds from the clutter of selfishness, pride, and other hinderances.

The great reformer John Calvin addressed the idea of self denial often in Book 3 of his Institutes of the Christian Religion. In his writing Calvin shows a true clarity of thought when addressing the struggles we believers face trying to move from our world of self-absorption to the spiritual state of self denial.

So let me close these few lines of thought with his words "In earlier times it was truly said that a world of evil is hidden in the soul of man. There is no remedy other than self-denial, which enables us to lay our own preferences aside, and to set our minds on the things which God requires, striving for them only because they are pleasing to him."

RefRev

ReformedRev's Quote of the Day

Faith makes all things possible... love makes all things easy. - Dwight L. Moody