Topical Bible: Death to Self

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Definition:
"Death to Self" is a theological concept within Christianity that refers to the process of denying one's own desires, ambitions, and ego in order to fully submit to the will of God. This concept is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and is considered essential for spiritual growth and discipleship.

Biblical Foundation:
The idea of dying to oneself is prominently featured in the New Testament. Jesus Himself calls His followers to this path of self-denial. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus states, "If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). This call to take up one's cross signifies a willingness to endure suffering and sacrifice for the sake of Christ.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this concept in his epistles. In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes, "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 up for me" . Here, Paul emphasizes the transformative nature of dying to self, where one's identity is reshaped by the indwelling presence of Christ.

Theological Significance:
Death to self is seen as a crucial aspect of sanctification, the process by which believers are made holy and conformed to the image of Christ. It involves a daily commitment to surrender personal desires and align one's life with God's purposes. This self-denial is not merely an act of willpower but is empowered by the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to live in obedience to God's commands.

The concept also underscores the paradox of the Christian life: true life is found through death. Jesus teaches, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25). This paradox highlights the eternal perspective that prioritizes spiritual over temporal gains.

Practical Implications:
In practical terms, death to self involves a lifestyle of humility, service, and love. It calls believers to prioritize the needs of others above their own, as exemplified by Christ's sacrificial love. The Apostle Paul exhorts the Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

Moreover, death to self is reflected in the willingness to forsake worldly attachments and pursue a life of holiness. This may involve making difficult choices that go against cultural norms or personal inclinations, all for the sake of honoring God.

Challenges and Rewards:
While the call to die to self is challenging, it is accompanied by profound spiritual rewards. Believers who embrace this path experience a deeper intimacy with God, greater freedom from sin, and a more profound sense of purpose. The Apostle Paul captures this sentiment in Romans 6:6-7, "We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For anyone who has died has been freed from sin" .

Ultimately, death to self is a journey of transformation that leads to abundant life in Christ, as believers are conformed to His likeness and empowered to live out their God-given calling.

Topical Bible Verses

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
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Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Romans 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
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Romans 6:11-14
Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
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2 Timothy 2:11
It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
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2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
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Greek

4716. stauros -- an upright stake, hence a cross (the Rom. ...
... a stake or post (as set upright), ie (specially), a pole or cross (as an instrument
of capital punishment); figuratively, exposure to death, ie Self-denial; by ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4716.htm - 8k

1722. en -- in, on, at, by, with
... 2), child* (4), circumstance (1), circumstances (1), conscious* (1), death* (1),
during (7 ... Sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1722.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

5315. nephesh -- a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire ...
... from an unused word Definition a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire ... 6),
creatures (3), dead (1), dead person (2), deadly (1), death (1), defenseless ...
/hebrew/5315.htm - 7k

2614. chanaq -- to strangle
... A primitive root (compare chanak); to be narrow; by implication, to throttle, or
(reflex.) To choke oneself to death (by a rope) -- hang self, strangle. ...
/hebrew/2614.htm - 6k

Library

Letter xviii. --Fruit of Death to Self.
... THE FRUIT THEREOF. Letter XVIII."Fruit of Death to Self. To Mother Marie-Anne-Sophie
de Rottenbourg. On the fruit of complete death to self.1739. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter xviii fruit of death to.htm

Death to Self is the Way Out into a Life of Sacrifice.
... Death to Self is the Way Out into a Life of Sacrifice. This dandelion has
long ago surrendered its golden petals, and has reached ...
//christianbookshelf.org/trotter/parables of the cross/death to self is the.htm

Letter ix. --Death of Self-Love.
... SEVENTH BOOK: THE LAST TRIALS. AGONY AND MYSTICAL DEATH. THE FRUIT THEREOF. Letter
IX."Death of Self-Love. To Sister Marie-Anne-Th??r??se de Rosen. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter ix death of self-love.htm

Abandonment to Divine Providence
... Temptations. Letter IX.--Death of Self-Love. Letter X.--On Mystical Death. ... Trials.
Letter XVIII.--Fruit of Death to Self. [ Prev] [Top] [Next ]. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/

Letter vii. --The Want of Good-Will.
... It is a true death to self; a death very inward, very crucifying, very difficult
to bear, but it is soon rewarded by a resurrection, after which one lives only ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter vii the want of good-will.htm

The Self Life.
... remember that Christ descended into death and the grave, and it is in the death
of self, following Jesus to the uttermost, that the deliverance and the life ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/the masters indwelling/ii the self life.htm

Letter xv. --Perfect Detachment.
... Third Principle: Interior privation, or death to self, is the most difficult
renunciation of all; it is as though we were torn away from ourselves, or were ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter xv perfect detachment.htm

The School of Obedience
... mightily in him. He is made willing to be obedient unto death, this entire
death to self, which makes him truly nothing. In this he ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/vii the school of obedience.htm

Thoughts Upon Self-Denyal.
... so was he, Matthew 27:31. Are we arraigned or condemned, yea do we suffer death
it self? it is no more than what our Lord and Master hath done before. ...
/.../beveridge/private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon self-denyal.htm

Letter xx. --The Fruit of Trials.
... This death of self hardly ever occurs without a deprivation of all things,
and at the mere thought of this one's very nature shudders. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter xx the fruit of trials.htm