Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes directly about the core of discipleship found in the cross. He continues the theme of the other writers we have looked at this week with the focus on suffering as and with Christ. But he also plainly defines the door that needs to open for us to truly follow Christ in this way, the door to self denial. Here is Bonheffer’s description of what self-denial really is,
“Self-denial means knowing only Christ, and no longer oneself. It means seeing only Christ, who goes ahead of us, and no longer that the path is too difficult for us. Again, self denial is saying only, He goes ahead of us, hold fast to Him.”
Even in this plain definition is an apparent contradiction that needs to be unpacked. In order to know Christ and deny ourselves we must be able to see the areas in our lives that do not know Christ. I would argue that in a sense we have to know ourselves. To know our tendencies, to know our personality, and to know what in us is or is not reflecting Christ. This shapes Bonhoeffer’s quote by understanding that denying ourselves, knowing Christ can also include understanding ourselves. Following Christ alone, means seeing EVERYTHING through His lens, His perspective. We are putting on Christ. When we do this we see the sin and selfishness in us, but also the possibility of redemption in Christ. When we see Christ and we see ourselves, then we choose Christ, that is when the self-denial comes. That is when “the things of Earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace” Denial of ourselves is the dimming of ourselves in light of Christ.