The Call to Die to Self in Evangelical Christianity
The Call to Die to Self in Evangelical Christianity
The call to die to self is a central theme in Evangelical Christianity, rooted in biblical teachings such as Jesus' instruction to "take up your cross daily" [4]. This concept is not merely about enduring hardships but involves a willingness to sacrifice one's own desires and interests for the sake of following Christ.
In Evangelical theology, dying to self is closely tied to the process of sanctification, where believers are called to mortify their sinful lusts and live no longer to the lusts of men but to God [1]. This involves a recognition of one's inability to save or sanctify oneself, emphasizing the need for divine intervention and the work of Christ in the believer's life [9].
Reformed theologians like Charles Hodge and John Calvin have articulated this concept within the framework of their soteriology. According to Hodge, the believer's experience is characterized by a struggle against sin, as detailed in Romans 7:7-25, a passage that Augustinians have interpreted as describing the Apostle Paul's own experience as a believer [3]. Calvin emphasizes the internal illumination of the Spirit as crucial for the effective call to faith, distinguishing between a general call to all and a special call that results in true faith [8].
The call to die to self is not limited to personal piety but is also seen in the context of community and the believer's relationship with others. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown note on Romans 14:7, Christians neither live nor die to themselves but to the Lord, indicating a life of dedication and service to Christ [5].
Evangelical interpretation of biblical passages such as Luke 9:23 and 14:27 underscores the radical nature of discipleship, involving a willingness to suffer and die to self, symbolized by carrying one's cross [4, 6]. This call is not optional but is a necessary aspect of following Jesus, reflecting the costly nature of discipleship.
The historical development of this doctrine is evident in the writings of early Church Fathers like Augustine, who grappled with the implications of Christian discipleship, including the question of martyrdom and self-sacrifice [10]. The continuity between the early Christian understanding of discipleship and Evangelical teachings on dying to self highlights the enduring significance of this theme across Christian traditions.
The emphasis on dying to self in Evangelical Christianity serves as a reminder of the believer's dependence on Christ for salvation and sanctification, underscoring the transformative nature of the Christian life [2, 7].
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Denial — Christ set an example of -- Mt 4:8-10; 8:20; Joh 6:38; Ro 15:3; Php 2:6-8. A test of devotedness to Christ -- Mt 10:37,38; Lu 9:23,24. Necessary In following Christ. -- Lu 14:27-33. In the warfare of saints. -- 2Ti 2:4. To the triumph of saints. -- 1Co 9:25-27. Ministers especially called to exercise -- 2Co 6:4,5. Should be exercised in Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts. -- Ro 6:12; Tit 2:12. Controlling the appetite. -- Pr 23:2. Abstaining from fleshly lusts. -- 1Pe 2:11. No longer living to lusts of men. -- 1Pe 4:2. Mortifying sinful lusts. -- Mr ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 31: sinner to look out of himself for salvation; i.e ., for deliverance from the power, as well as the guilt of sin. The law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. Why could not the Apostle say all this of himself? There is nothing here inconsistent with the character or experience of a true believer. It is as true of the Christian that he is not sanctified by moral suasion, by the objective presentation of truth, as it is of the unrenewed sinner, that he is not regenerated by any such outward influences. It is, 223 therefore, perfectly pert”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 31: the soul into conformity to the image of Christ. Paul details his own Experience in Romans vii. 7-25. The classical passages of the New Testament on the nature of this work are the following, — Romans vii. 7-25 . This is not the place to enter upon the discussion whether the Apostle in this passage is detailing his own experience or not. This is the interpretation given to it by Augustinians in all ages. It is enough to say here that the “ onus probandi ” rests on those who take the opposite view of the passage. It must require very stron”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 9:23: 9:23-27 If any of you wants to be my follower: After predicting his own suffering and death, Jesus taught that all who follow him must also experience death to self. 9:23 take up your cross daily: This did not simply mean carrying a heavy burden, but suffering a violent death by crucifixion. Believers must be completely willing to die to themselves and to live for God, even at the cost of their lives.”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 14:7: For none of us--Christians liveth to himself--(See Co2 5:14-15), to dispose of himself or shape his conduct after his own ideas and inclinations. and no man--"and none" of us Christians "dieth to himself."”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 14:27: 14:27 To carry your own cross is a picture of dying to self. The horizontal beam of the cross was carried by a condemned criminal headed for crucifixion.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 52: mode of statement are injurious and dangerous. If a sinner must be convinced of his guilt before he can trust in the righteousness of Christ for his justification, 267 he must be convinced of his helplessness before he can look to God for deliverance. Those who are made to believe that they can save themselves, are, in the divine administration, commonly left to their own resources. In opposition therefore to the Pelagian doctrine of the sinner’s plenary ability, to the Semi-Pelagian or Arminian doctrine of what is called “a gracious abil”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 79: all men alike, even those for whom he designs the call to be a savor of death, and the ground of a severer condemnation. Besides this there is a special call which, for the most part, God bestows on believers only, when by the internal illumination of the Spirit he causes the word preached to take deep root in their hearts. Sometimes, however, he communicates it also to those whom he enlightens only for a time, and whom afterwards, in just punishment for their ingratitude, he abandons and smites with greater blindness. Now, our Lor”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 30: it by their own power. Our whole salvation is of Christ. Those who are in the grave hear his voice. They are raised by his power. And when they live it is He who lives in them. This is the doctrine which our Lord Himself so clearly and so frequently teaches, and upon which his Apostles so strenuously insist. St. Paul in the sixth and seventh chapters of his Epistle to the Romans, where he treats of this subject “ in extenso ,” has for his main object to prove that as we are not justified or our own righteousness, so we are not sanctified ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 17.--OF SUICIDE COMMITTED THROUGH FEAR OF PUNISHMENT OR DISHONOR.: And consequently, even if some of these virgins killed themselves to avoid such disgrace, who that has any human feeling would refuse to forgive them.? And as for those who would not put an end to their lives, lest they might seem to escape the crime of another by a sin of their own, he who lays this to their charge as a great wickedness is himself not guiltless of the fault of folly. For if it is not, lawful to take the law into our own hands, and slay even a gui”