[TBP]

Religion is supposed to be about uplifting us. How does self-denial promote that?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

In Christianity, you win by losing and you live by dying. Click on my name and read a quote by John MacArthur. He says it better than I ever could.

[solafiducia]

I'm not sure that I would place Joel Osteen in the same category as Neale Donald Walsch, but I do think that his message and work has a lot more in common with humanist self-improvement gurus than Biblical Christianity. The further you go from the reality of our sin, the truth of how we Christians will be treated by the world, and the effects and consequences of sin in this world, the further we get from the grace that is at the very heart of the Gospel.

Christianity is definitely not about self-empowerment. It's about total reliance upon God and seeking to serve and advance His Kingdom in this world until Christ returns to fully consumate it. Osteen's message seems very anthropocentric.

[texgal]

Religion is supposed to be about uplifting us. How does self-denial promote that?

Matthew 16: 24 & 25: If anyone desires to follow after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

It's all a part of the great mystery. We just have to believe and follow Him. I have visited Lakewood Church and have found all the TV related things going on to be very distracting to worship. The message bothers me inasmuch as the Lord is not some cosmic grandpa who is there to grant my every wish. I am here to worship him and to dedicate my life to Him and that involves sacrifice on my part.

[asformeandformyhouse]

Religion is supposed to be about uplifting us. How does self-denial promote that?

That's a very modern concept of religion. Self denial is the original concept.

Matthew 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

James 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

[Salvation]

Religion is about serving God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. (not uplifting us!)

Today's Gospel:

Gospel
Jn 12:24-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me."

[Lee N. Field]

Religion is supposed to be about uplifting us.

Where's you ever hear that?

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

[A2J]

Religion is supposed to be about uplifting us. How does self-denial promote that?

You're correct in that religion is "supposed to be about uplifting us," because it has been that way since Cain lifted up himself to kill his righteous brother, Abel.

Later, men sought to lift themselves up in arrogance to the Lord through the building of the Tower of Babel, the epitome of religion.

We are "uplifted" when God exalts us after we realize that we cannot do anything to help ourselves or lift ourselves without Christ. Any other type of "uplifting" amounts to humanism.

Self-denial is the way of anyone who wishes to follow Christ.