Prayer Meeting 6/8/2024
A Call To Self-Denial - Part 3
(Thomas Manton)
Watch the Full Sermon HERE.
Well tonight we enter into part 3 of Manton’s treatise on self-denial; a 100-plus page ‘tour de force’, where Manton draws from:
Matthew 16:24 ESV
Then Jesus told his disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
The parallels to what Manton writes, and that of what we could draw from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians on love is astounding. Which tells me this: God wants us to deeply learn this. We need this. It’s part God’s sanctifying work. Which of course means it will not only equip us, but in the process kill our flesh.
So I think it’s important we listen to what the Spirit is really saying to us, and we need to embrace it.
Let me start with our prayer, which is the same prayer from ‘The Valley Of Vison’, page 132 in the leatherbound version and page 74 of the paperback, and is entitled ‘Self-Deprecation’.
O LORD, My every sense, member, faculty, affection is a snare to me, I can scarce open my eyes but I envy those above me, or despise those below. I covet honour and riches of the mighty, and am proud and unmerciful to the rags of others; If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust, or see deformity, it stirs up loathing and disdain; How soon do slanders, vain jests, and wanton speeches creep into my heart! Am I comely? what fuel for pride! Am I deformed? what an occasion for repining! Am I gifted? I lust after applause! Am I unlearned? how I despise what I have not! Am I in authority? how prone to abuse my trust make will my law, exclude others' enjoyments serve my own interests and policy! Am I inferior? how much I grudge others pre-eminence! Am I rich? how exalted I become! Thou knowest that all these are snares by my corruptions and that my greatest snare is myself. I bewail that my apprehensions are dull, my thoughts mean, my affections stupid, my expressions low, my life unbeseeming; Yet what canst thou expect of dust but levity, of corruption but defilement? Keep me ever mindful of my natural state, but let me not forget my heavenly title, or the grace that can deal with every sin.
Oh how we would all benefit from each other if we could have way more self-deprecation in our life. Which is what my two lists, which we will draw from tonight embody. In other words: don’t think of ourselves too highly; don’t make everything about us.
Okay, let me start tonight by sharing on Manton’s section on ‘self-wisdom’, or leaning on our own understanding. The second will be on how deny self-love. So two light hearted subjects.
Okay, firstly: not leaning on our own understanding
Surely this is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to self-denial. And something that causes great pain, and of course the most awful decisions.
Think of the times you trust your own feelings, choices, ideas. Think of the times you run with them, without seeking counsel or guidance. It never ever goes well, not just for yourself but all you touch.
Yet our pride will defend it, excuse it, justify it, even fight for the right to have it, and worst of all, is when we trust it. Oh my, please I pray, don’t trust your own understanding - it will literally wreak your life.
Manton even writes, and I will paraphrase, that: Due to pride, we would rather defend the errors we make than the sins we commit. Such is the level some go to, to trust their own ways. Why? Because again Manton says:
Men cannot endure hated truth.
So they would rather defend their wrong. Their pride won’t allow them to admit they need help, or have made a mistake, or they are ‘winging it’.
Manton then gives us what he calls ‘signs’ that we are leaning on our own understanding, and not God at all.
Okay, five points on this:
-
When men are puffed up with conceit of their knowledge, It is a sign they lean upon it.
In other words, your pride makes you trust in self, and your pride is evidence of your lack of being teachable.
Manton writes:
It’s a sign that that man has never waded into the depth of the scripture.
No one who leans on their own understanding is someone who studies God’s Word. No Word, no true wisdom. Yet pride will make you defend what you’re peddling as truth.
Manton gives a great little example when he talks of those that go into study, using the words of Menedemus, the 4th century Greek philosopher. In quoting Menedemus he writes:.
The first year they think they are wise men….
…The second, philosophers…
…The third, orators that could talk wisdom…
…The fourth they were plebeians, who understood nothing but their own ignorance.
The point is that the more we study God’s Word, the less we lean on, or trust our own understanding. We start to see His ways are way higher, deeper, and wiser than ours. And we swallow our pride, and seek that which is way above our understanding.
Okay the second sign your leaning on your own understanding is:
-
When we dare to undertake anything without asking for counsel from God.
Of course many say they do, then make the most shocking decisions. I always ask: if you have sought God, why is He asking you to do something that contradicts scripture? Of course most don’t bother seeking God; they go it alone, going on their own thoughts, ideas, feelings and fears.
Let me pause on that for a moment and say that fear will rationalise the most unbiblical choices and decisions and behaviours. Due to a lack of trust and faith, fear will make the most insane ideas sound like wise ones to yourself.
Over the years I’ve seen some of the most spiritually suicidal decisions all because the person deeply fears being vulnerable.
Manton writes:
Whenever we go forth in the strength of our own counsel, we say “I can do well enough without God.”
No you cannot.
Jeremiah 10:23
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
The way is not in us, unless it’s the wrong way. It’s in Him.
What did Jesus say in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life.”
In the early church. The disciples where known as those of ‘the way’. Meaning followers of Christ and His teaching.
Someone who won’t deny self is not of ‘the way’ but of their own way.
The third sign that shows people leaning on their own understanding is:
-
Many trust God for redemption but not for his teaching.
How true? Those who lean on their own understanding will say they believe Christ died for them, that Jesus paid the price for their sin. But that’s where it stops. They don’t trust in Him as a teacher. Their relationship stops there.
Their praise stops there; their trust stops there. They do not acknowledge Him in all His ways because they are too busy trusting the way they have decided.
Manton adds:
When men are not convinced of their own spiritual blindness they won’t prize Christ in all his offices.
Is it a wonder then we don’t have all truth, but follow just a little truth coupled with a whole lot of lies we hide as truth? Surely the Christ who died for us, is also sufficient for bringing truth and direction as well?
Yet so many claim the cross and the empty tomb, but deny that Christ, through His Spirit, is the Author and Finisher of our faith. That He has sent the Paraclete, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth to be with us and in us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. Yet we trust him only for such a small portion of our lives. We keep leaning on our own understanding.
The forth sign men are leaning on their own understanding and therefore not willing to deny self is:
-
They defend their own choices above scripture.
Manton writes:
In all matters of faith, worship and obedience, we are to fetch all our light from the scriptures. Yet we set up a higher tribunal and fetch all from reason.
Over the years I’ve been in a million meetings and counselling with those that keep using their own reasonings that never line up with scripture. Not once have I seen that end well, for those who keep defending their own reasoning, that is not in line with scripture.
The defence is often aggressively strong as well. The pride make the conviction robust. Yet it’s all their own understanding and conclusion, driven not by the Word, but by their own flesh.
They always have a self-denial issue, and always have such a deep unwillingness towards submission.
Okay lastly on this list, simply put by Manton a sign is:
-
They despise the advice and help of other Christians.
Manton adds:
Now when a man thinks his knowledge and wisdom is sufficient and he need not be taught from any, it’s an evil sign.
Manton then quotes Proverbs 26:12
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The only way for this type of behaviour and mindset is backwards; a widened path of destruction.
Do you remember what happened in the wilderness to the Israelites? Their fear kicked in. They ignored the advice from Caleb and Joshua, and Moses. Scripture then says, let me read a few verses:
Numbers 14:1-4
So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “if only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
They never selected a leader to give them advice. But a token, weak leader, that made them look submissive, and willing, and to make them look less weak.
They said “let’s select a leader and head back”. Their selection did not include to seek advice, get some wisdom. No, let us select one as weak as us, who also doesn’t listen to Caleb or Joshua.
Amazing that those that lean on their own understanding find others who lean on their own understanding, yet they call it ‘togetherness’, and ‘friendship’, and ‘love’.
Okay 3 ways of, as Manton calls it ‘treating self-love’. Or ‘the remedies’ in treating self-love.
Manton talks much more on this. Like how it discovers itself, the crime of self-love, and the odiousness of self-love (the repulsiveness).
However, I will only share on the remedies, and only three of them… Think it’s been ouchy enough.
Okay, the first remedy:
-
It’s good to remember the pit in which you were dug out of.
I think we wouldn’t place ourselves so highly and be so full of self if we remembered where we were before we had Christ.
I think one thing we do, is we forget how bad we were. Hence why we must remember the power of the cross and what price was paid for our sin.
Don’t we have such short memories at times, of our shocking behaviour when we are disobedient? Let us therefore not get cocky when things are going okay that we start to self-praise and self-worship.
Secondly, a direct follow on:
-
Think of the purity of God.
Line that up to yourself. Then ask again: should I be loving me or Him? Should I be looking for praise from man, or telling man about Jesus?
I love that Manton mentioned Isaiah chapter six. It’s one of my favourite chapters:
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “here am I! Send me.”
Thirdly, and lastly:
-
Consider the greatness of your obligation.
In other words: consider your call, that of bringing glory to God. That will make you worship Him, and not yourself.
What an honour to be called. What amazing grace that God chose us, And gave us all a commission to speak on his behalf about His Son. That we are ambassadors of Christ. Now that doesn’t make me want to love me.
Some use it to gain some selfish praise, or worldly things. But we ought to be so overwhelmed by that call, that we have no time for self-love.
Overwhelmed by His grace, and His mercy, that He counts us as His own. That we are co-heirs. That we are living stones. That have been redeemed.
I’ve no time, or desire to love me, when I can share His love with people.
The woman at the well stopped trying to get love and parade herself. She only wanted to share His love.
Amen.
Print