Dying to self

[ByTheSpirit]

How does one die to themselves? What practical advice would you give to someone seeking such advice?

 

[DeerGlow]

How does one die to themselves? What practical advice would you give to someone seeking such advice?

Going to wait here, I'm insecure but also the most vain person I know sometimes so I need a lot of help being humble and not living for myself.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

How does one die to themselves? What practical advice would you give to someone seeking such advice?

Oh 1000 replies at least!
At the risk of sounding Buddhist, the ego has to die. Self-interest has to go. Selfishness has to go. You have to reduce "you" in order to increase "Christ" in you. The saints have maybe 99% Christ in them? No one reaches 100%, but its not for lack of trying for many that is.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I'm insecure but also the most vain person I know

only humility would allow you to say that.

 

[DeerGlow]

Oh 1000 replies at least!
At the risk of sounding Buddhist, the ego has to die. Self-interest has to go. Selfishness has to go. You have to reduce "you" in order to increase "Christ" in you. The saints have maybe 99% Christ in them? No one reaches 100%, but its not for lack of trying for many that is.

But like, how do you reduce the "you" and increase the Christ?

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

But like, how do you reduce the "you" and increase the Christ?

oh OK part two then
-awareness, awareness of your sinful nature
-repentance, repenting daily with humility
-reminding yourself that humility to God is paramount
-hand your worries and concerns over to God in prayer daily
-Bible and scripture reading daily, (pray,read , reflect, pray, read, reflect)
-try to stay in touch with God as much as possible during the day

 

[DeerGlow]

only humility would allow you to say that.

I don't think acknowledging vanity can be called humility though.

 

[Another Lazarus]

Denying yourself for example there are thousands of porns site at the internet, you choose not to indulge in it as you respect God.

May Jesus bless you all HalleluYAH

 

[Winken]

How does one die to themselves? What practical advice would you give to someone seeking such advice?

Your confession of Faith in Christ Jesus comes first; it is the beginning. If you haven't done that, pray for insight, then open your Bible to Romans 10:8-13. Thereafter, ask Him to mightily bless the reading of His Word.

God isn't going to drive you into a corner. He is going to open up life for you. You learn to love Him in Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:1, John 3:16-17 ...... glorious Truths that bring out the Holy Spirit that came into your life when you acknowledged Jesus. Eternity is now yours!! Rejoice!!

 

[GandalfTheWise]

One of the challenges of dying to self is making sure that we are not replacing one form of self with another. What I mean is that if we are creating a form of righteousness by our own efforts, we are still falling short of Christ living within us. We may be sinning less and being more religious, but are we really changing much inside? I think all of us do this to some extent and make some progress, but then feel like we've hit a brick wall because certain things just never seem to change no matter what we do. It's when we exhaust our own willpower and strength and efforts that we find we have to turn to God because we cannot do it. We find we need Him to transform us from the inside out. As we are transformed into the image of Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, sins and shortcomings in our life will start to fade away. Things such as love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, and patience will become our natural attitude and what flows out from us. This is a process.

I think this is what Jesus was referring to during the Last Supper.
John 15: 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (NIV)

I'm guessing at times we have all found that it's sometimes easier to think of "It's to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit" as a command that we must try as hard as we can to fulfill, rather than it being the result of us remaining in Christ. Bearing much fruit is a natural consequence of remaining in (or living in or staying in) Christ.

I think bettercallpaul's advice about cultivating consistent spiritual disciplines is sound. For most of us, much of our spiritual transformation comes over time as we make prayer, scripture reading, being with other Christians, and intentionally spending more time walking with God a more integral part of our lives. One further point I would add is to seek God for what His immediate priority is for us. Once in awhile, it's something very big (like maybe asking forgiveness from someone we've wronged or giving up a relationship or quitting some activity). However, many times it might be something seemingly small (perhaps like attending church more regularly, or making it a habit to pray a few minutes before going to bed, or reading 1 Psalm a day, spending more time talking to our spouse, or reading a particular book). Sometimes a series of seeming small changes will start to add up into big changes in us.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I don't think acknowledging vanity can be called humility though.

Why not?
Its the first step anyway. Awareness. Truly vain people aren't aware they are vain.

 

[DeerGlow]

Why not?
Its the first step anyway. Awareness. Truly vain people aren't aware they are vain.

There's a certain level of vanity where you have to be like wow I'm conceited.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

There's a certain level of vanity where you have to be like wow I'm conceited.

There is a certain vanity in being argumentative, which I will refrain from now doing on this thread.

 

[DeerGlow]

There is a certain vanity in being argumentative, which I will refrain from now doing on this thread.

?

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Oh 1000 replies at least!
At the risk of sounding Buddhist, the ego has to die. Self-interest has to go. Selfishness has to go. You have to reduce "you" in order to increase "Christ" in you. The saints have maybe 99% Christ in them? No one reaches 100%, but its not for lack of trying for many that is.

I agree the ego and the "me" of myself has to die... but that is exactly my question... how? I have prayed, I have fasted, I have done everything I can think of within scripture and I seem no more closer than when I started. I still look out for #1, me. Now surely just me being this upset about it is progress in itself, but I am tired of living for me, I want to "Take up my cross everyday" to follow him but... just. Can't. And my prayers it seems are falling on deaf ears.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

One of the challenges of dying to self is making sure that we are not replacing one form of self with another. What I mean is that if we are creating a form of righteousness by our own efforts, we are still falling short of Christ living within us. We may be sinning less and being more religious, but are we really changing much inside? I think all of us do this to some extent and make some progress, but then feel like we've hit a brick wall because certain things just never seem to change no matter what we do. It's when we exhaust our own willpower and strength and efforts that we find we have to turn to God because we cannot do it. We find we need Him to transform us from the inside out. As we are transformed into the image of Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, sins and shortcomings in our life will start to fade away. Things such as love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, and patience will become our natural attitude and what flows out from us. This is a process.

I think this is what Jesus was referring to during the Last Supper.
John 15: 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (NIV)

I'm guessing at times we have all found that it's sometimes easier to think of "It's to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit" as a command that we must try as hard as we can to fulfill, rather than it being the result of us remaining in Christ. Bearing much fruit is a natural consequence of remaining in (or living in or staying in) Christ.

I think bettercallpaul's advice about cultivating consistent spiritual disciplines is sound. For most of us, much of our spiritual transformation comes over time as we make prayer, scripture reading, being with other Christians, and intentionally spending more time walking with God a more integral part of our lives. One further point I would add is to seek God for what His immediate priority is for us. Once in awhile, it's something very big (like maybe asking forgiveness from someone we've wronged or giving up a relationship or quitting some activity). However, many times it might be something seemingly small (perhaps like attending church more regularly, or making it a habit to pray a few minutes before going to bed, or reading 1 Psalm a day, spending more time talking to our spouse, or reading a particular book). Sometimes a series of seeming small changes will start to add up into big changes in us.

I appreciate your words! I do admit I am a tad impatient with most things and could use a great deal of it. I suppose I expected it overnight. I see people that seem to change instantly like that and thought if God did that for them, then why not me.

I am in bondage to fear. I am. Fear being a child of pride. I have a lot of pride in myself and it causes great harm to my walk with Christ. I want desperately to be rid of it, but suppose the best way is to continue praying and fasting as I have until the power of God breaks through on my behalf.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

And my prayers it seems are falling on deaf ears.

How can you be sure of that?
My current view is that we have to listen more in prayer than speak. Patience is the key.. Listening in prayer is possibly not emphasised enough.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

What I mean is that if we are creating a form of righteousness by our own efforts, we are still falling short of Christ living within us. We may be sinning less and being more religious, but are we really changing much inside?

You make a very good point here. It is tempting to think "oh I've arrived , I can relax now, but where is God? I don't feel his presence." There are stages in our Christian journey. I don't say I'm a mature Christian yet, but perhaps mature Christians, are patient with God. They don't expect answers immediately. They just keep doing their best each day and letting God worry if they are making progress or not.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

How can you be sure of that?
My current view is that we have to listen more in prayer than speak. Patience is the key.. Listening in prayer is possibly not emphasised enough.

I do listen quite a bit in prayer... I agree with you. I want to communicate with God more than just yap his ear off. Great bit of advice

 

[Dr Bruce Atkinson]

How does one die to themselves? What practical advice would you give to someone seeking such advice?

A.W. Tozer: “Among the plastic saints of our times, Jesus has to do all the dying, and they don’t want to hear about their own required death to self-centeredness.”

Dying to self:
It is a realization that we are dead (already dying), it is a process over time. It is a daily choice. Being “born again from above” means the old lower nature is as good as dead, and will in fact be dead eventually. We are to act as if it were already so, ‘living down here from up there,’ that is, in Christ, rather than in self, centered on spiritual things, not earthly things.

If we "deny ourselves", and commit ourselves to the death of our old nature, we can no longer place any hope in this world. By "taking up our cross", it is as if all our natural passions and desires are doomed.

Some helpful quotes:
T. Austin-Sparks: "The unalterable basis of an open heaven is a grave, and a crisis at which you come to an end of your own self-life. It is the crisis of real experiential identification with Christ in His death."

Gal 5:24 (TEB) “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature, with all its passions and desires.”

Gal 6:14 (Phi) “Yet God forbid that I should boast about anything or anybody except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which means that the world is dead to me and I am a dead man to the world.”

Rom 6:11 (NIV) “…count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. “

T. Austin-Sparks: In a sense, we have not to die; we are already dead. What we have to do is to accept our death. In baptism... we simply step in there and say, 'That position which God has settled with reference to me is the one which I now accept, and I testify here in this way to the fact that I have accepted God's position for me, namely, that in the Cross, I (my old self nature) have been brought to an end.'"

J.C. Ryle: "Life is the mightiest of all possessions. From death to life is the mightiest of all changes. And no change short of this will ever avail to fit a person's soul for heaven. It is not a little mending and alteration -- a little cleansing and purifying-- a little painting and patching -- a little whitewashing and varnishing -- a little turning over a new leaf and putting on a new outside that is needed. It is the bringing in of something altogether new -- the planting within us of a new nature, a new being, a new principle, a new mind. This alone, and nothing less than this, will ever meet the necessities of person's soul. We need not merely a new skin, but a new heart."