If one does not Deny himself, Take Up the Cross and Closely Follow the Lord but instead does things according to the desires of his soul in order to satisfy it, there will come a time when he shall lose his soul even though he may have gained the entire world.

Though he may gain many pleasures by following his own desires, eventually, says the Lord, he will have to pay back through losing all pleasures of his soul.

To lose the soul now is far better than to lose it at the end.

Deny self. Deny Me.

It is either of the two.

There is no choice for us; we must either Deny self or Deny Christ.

There are two great powers fighting each other – the self-nature in the power of sin and Christ in the Power of God.

Either of these must rule within us.