Article August 10, 1957 Issue

SPIRITUAL GROWTH THROUGH SELF-DENIAL

FRANK A. SALISBURY

Freedom from a personal sense of self and a clear understanding of his divine sonship made it possible for our Way-shower, Christ Jesus, to raise himself after the crucifixion and then to ascend to the Father. He said (Luke 9: 23), "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

Total redemption from personal sense is not won in a moment. Release from the bondage of this enslaving belief comes by degrees through constant self-immolation. Every vestige of the belief of a selfhood apart from God must eventually be completely destroyed.

Self-abnegation does not imply self-annihilation, nor does it require one to give up anything that is real or eternal. It is only a false belief of self, which is no part of the real man, that must be discarded. If we would follow in the footsteps of our Master, let us accept with joy his loving counsel to part company with a personal sense of self, which seems to cause so much human misery.

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