Draft for Self-Denial Part Two
By Jay Wegter
In Part One of this article, we looked at Christ’s command of self-denial and its definition. In Part Two, we’ll examine ways in which the Scriptures describe its practice and benefits, and how it accompanies obedience of every kind. Is Christianity without self-denial possible? No, a genuine Christian is a Christ-follower who abides in Christ’s Word (Jn 8:31). Those led by the Spirit of Christ do not allow the lower nature to set the standard for their behavior (Rom 8:4, Williams Transl.).
In a sermon preached over 50 years ago, Dr. Tim LaHaye noted: biblical commands are almost always 180 degrees opposite of our natural way of doing things. How true! “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov 12:12). Every area of obedience Scripture calls for requires self-denial. Is it any wonder that Charles Spurgeon offered the following observation, “Superficial religion will always be fashionable because it does not require self-denial.”
The Christian astronomer and scientist, Johannes Kepler stated, that the law cannot be broken, only illustrated. How fascinating and true, the law of God cannot actually be broken. The moral law is fixed. The law is immutable because God’s righteous character IS the law of the universe. Sinners do not have the power to abrogate God’s law. For in their law-breaking, they illustrate the fixity of the law by reaping its consequences. “The way of the transgressor is hard” (Prov 13:15). “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 Jn 3:4). In essence, unbelievers break themselves upon God’s law by their presumptuous sin—even though they think they are trampling upon His commands with impunity. Therefore, what suicidal folly to seek friendship with a world that ‘celebrates liberty’ from God’s commands. God’s warnings, and calls to repentance are acts of compassion. For the moral law of God is inseparable from the unstoppable righteous judgment of God. “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation” (Rom 2:4-8).
Those led by the Spirit will practice self-denial. Romans chapter 8 in the William's translation is profound. That passage states that, “. . . the people who live by the standard set by their lower nature are usually thinking the things suggested by that nature, and the people who live by the standard set by the Spirit are usually thinking the things suggested by the Spirit” (Rom 8:5). What an impactful way of saying how one is led by the Spirit or being led by the flesh. For the things you think upon regularly or habitually are going to translate into actions, whether your thought life is prompted by the flesh or by the Spirit. Taking our thoughts captive in obedience to Christ requires self-denial (2 Cor 10:5-6). But the benefits are eternal, for renewal of the mind by Scripture produces transformation, and out of transformation comes the habit of presenting ourselves to God. “Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:1-2).
In Galatians chapter 5, believers are urged to walk by means of the Spirit, so they will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). We are to walk in step with the Spirit—in cadence with His prompting and directing. Being filled with the Spirit which is manifested in the edification of one another in the Body of Christ (Eph 5:18-21). God be praised that the Holy Spirit enables and energizes our self-denial. The Spirit assists us in in mortifying sin, and putting to death the deeds of the flesh. “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:12-13). And the Holy Spirit is at work in us in our sanctification, both to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13). To work out our salvation with fear and trembling is first of all to marvel that God’s indwelling Spirit is empowering the deeds which advance our sanctification. Therefore, we’re to cooperate with His sanctifying purposes as He leads us into self-denial.
Self-denial involves hating our life in this world (Jn 12:25). “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” To hate your life in this world means completely reordering your priorities around the gospel instead of according to the pattern of this world. To hate your life in this world does not mean hating your vocation, your talents, your pastimes, your appreciation of beauty. It does mean your cherished fleshly mechanisms must go. To do so, you must exercise biblical self-confrontation in identifying the things in your life which militate against Christian love. That’s just lengthy way of saying repent. Which includes subtle things, ‘acceptable sins’ that you’ve let slide in the past; your masks, your manipulations, your boasting, your anger, your defenses, your complaining, how you get your own way, how you insulate yourself from others, etc. In other words, locate your cherished flesh mechanisms—the ones by which you cling to your pride and seek to differentiate yourself from others (2 Cor 10:12). These carnal behaviors block the formation and expression of Christ’s virtues. Self-denial in this context means abandoning these fleshly responses, and then embracing the replacement behaviors enjoined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:8-4:6.
Our lusts are not merely signs of moral weakness, our lusts wage war against the soul (1 Pet 2:11). “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” Do we truly perceive that our fleshly lusts have declared war on the soul, that they desire to drag us into slavery and corruption? Sin has the personality of Satan. Like the devil, sin won’t settle for a tranquil peace treaty. Sin wants complete domination in every conceivable area. In that sense, sin is both terminal and parasitic, or as L. S. Chafer said, it is ‘spiritual suicide’. Sin wants you to sell soul to its offers—to volunteer your faculties and members to its service. It has been said that a male is born with two vicious dogs inside of him, lust and violence. Self-denial addresses the need for their control. But before we pronounce ourselves innocent of letting the violence dog off the leash, consider the following. There is a form of violence which is an abomination to God just as much as physical violence is. It is sowing discord through gossip, back-biting, challenging others, tale-bearing, stirring up strife, feeding division, etc. (Prov 6:19; 16:28; Rom 16:17-18; Jas 3:5-6ff.). Destroying the reputation of another is likened to a violent physical act. “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (Gal 5:15). “Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another” (Gal 5:26).
Collectively the ‘two dogs’ of lust and violence comprise the voracious insatiable beast known as the fleshly self. With the law as his prosecutor, Paul labeled his pre-Christ self-life as engaged in coveting of every kind (Rom 7:8). No wonder self must be denied, its potential for causing trouble is immense! Self-denial is about controlling where we look for satisfaction and fulfillment. Scripture informs us that godliness and contentment are found together (1 Tim 6:6). Thus, self-denial will involve ‘starving’ the beast of self of the lusts it craves while feeding the renewed soul on the true Bread of Christ (Jn 6:48-58).
Coveting and contentment form a paradigm with the two at opposite ends of the spectrum. In other words, the more content I am in the things of the Lord, the less I will be seduced by coveting. The converse is true, the more discontent I am, the more vulnerable I am to act out of lust. Discontentment is a volatile and dangerous state; it’s all too willing to lay out a welcome mat to sin. How is Christian contentment cultivated? By prayer, Scripture meditation, spiritual fellowship, waiting on the Lord, practicing the promises of God, etc.—in a word, by self-denial. Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote a landmark book in 1648, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. It has stood the test of time. Here are appropriate quotes from his work. “If I become content by having my desire satisfied, that is only self-love; but when I am contented with the hand of God and am willing to be at His disposal, that comes from my love to God.” “My brethren, the reason why you do not have contentment in the things of the world is not that you do not have enough of them. The reason is that they are not things proportional to that immortal soul of yours that is capable of God Himself.” “So be satisfied and quiet, be contented with your contentment. I lack certain things that others have, but blessed be God, I have a contented heart which others have not.”
Those who abide in obedience to Christ’s commandments shall know the truth, and the truth shall set them free (Jn 8:31-32). Jesus reveals that the truth is not something merely recognized by an institution, or audited by a pupil, or enshrined in a crystal case. Truth is something that is practiced. There’s a sizable application here of biblical self-denial—namely this, to practice the truth is to practice self-denial. But if you are living to gratify your fleshly desires, you are not practicing the truth. We could actually say that being controlled by lusts is the opposite of being controlled by the truth. This is a very important dynamic in our obedience to Christ. The truth must be made manifest in what we do (John Frame). “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (Jn 3:21). “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 Jn 3:18). Second Corinthians has been called the Epistle of Death—it is filled with the theology of the cross. This is one of the reasons it is preached so rarely. This epistle hits us head-on with a full blast paradox, namely, that power is perfected in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). Through weakness and suffering is how the cross is applied to the believer’s walk. Paul states that the Apostles are constantly delivered over to death, that the life of Christ might be manifested in their bodies. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So, death works in us, but life in you” (2 Cor 4:7-12). This is the new covenant equation of utter reliance upon the Lord. So, self-denial is very much involved in exchanging self-reliance for adequacy from the Lord (2 Cor 3:4-6). And again, concerning this reliance on the Lord, from John 15:5, “. . . apart from me, you can do nothing.” That’s the theology that the flesh hates. To the puzzlement of the Corinthians, Paul states, “. . . for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). We reiterate that the flesh hates the theology of the cross in all of its forms and expressions. Therefore, much heavenly scourging is required for us to learn the theology of the cross, and to have it worked into the depths of our being. But Paul saw the theology of the cross as the key to an exchanged life—i.e. Christ’s life in place of his. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal 2:20). For in response to any taste of personal adequacy, we want to throw off the mild yoke of dependency on the Spirit. We’d rather polish the merit badges of our own achievements. Paul weaves the theology of the cross throughout the Corinthian correspondence, especially through Second Corinthians. He exemplifies what the cross applied means in numerous situations. For Paul, Christ and Him crucified answers every abuse, every false belief, and also, every criticism lodged at him by the false apostles. Each problem is answered by the theology of the cross (1 Cor 2:1-16). Though the Corinthians had received his epistles, they were not fully delivered from their addiction to man’s wisdom. They had a deep Greek affection for the ideal man; wherein human adequacy is asserted, exhibited, and praised. Thus, they boasted in men who were eloquent (1 Cor 3:3-4, 21). What they needed were lessons from the theology of the cross repeated and applied. For they had evaluated Paul’s afflictions through a humanist lens with problem-free adequacy as a reliable mark of spirituality. Consequently, they concluded that Paul was unspiritual because he couldn’t keep himself out of trouble. Paul keeps returning to the theology of the cross in his letters to them—explaining that his afflictions are traceable to the cross. The theology of the cross is a massive stumbling block for it asserts that God uses human weakness as His staging area for the display His strength. Thus, a response of trust and obedience to the theology of the cross will call for self-denial.
To those who practice biblical self-denial, God offers the incentive of close, intimate relations with Himself. He offers to believers the joy of experiencing sonship. He will gladly receive them as their Heavenly Father and will impart close fellowship with Himself. But this requires, according to 2 Corinthians 6, that we live a separated life. Self-denial requires we do not form close relationships with unbelievers and to not allow the pattern of this world to shape us. “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:16-18).
Therefore, having these matchless promises of sonship and the Father’s intimacy, we ought to heed 2 Corinthians 7:1. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” To obey this command requires self-denial. This is the believer's responsibility. The believer’s self-denial means carefully caring for, and maintaining his relationship with the Lord by his separation from sin, by mortifying sin and by practicing ongoing repentance. Self-denial is the logical response to the offer of a Holy God to commune with us. Zeal is required to keep ridding oneself of all defilement of flesh and spirit—a motivation which flows from the glorious wealth of divine promises. These promises reach out to our longings and satisfy the depths of our Father hunger. Our Lord describes our consecration in the following manner: “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” “. . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (Jn 14:21, 23b).
And so, we’re back to that battle between flesh and spirit. What do you esteem most highly? Do you esteem God and His promises above all else? This passage in 2 Corinthians moves the believer to exercise both sides of sanctification, i.e. separation from sin, and separation unto God—our Lord’s call to the self-denial is required of both.
OPTIONAL
The ultimate instigator of natural devilish wisdom is Lucifer himself. He is the first creature that attempted complete autonomy from God and then this fallen angel sold the autonomy lie to our first parents. The autonomy lie is filled with arrogance and ignorance—the ignorance which believes that autonomy from God is achievable for a creature. This damnable error is only corrected by the cross of Christ applied. The cross deals with our hunger for ruthless independence. Only when this revolt is pierced by the cross, does it release its grip. Self-reliance, when it births achievement, prosperity, status, temporary security, apart from the gospel, feeds the pride of life. The desire to establish our differentiation from others is the lie of personal autonomy. When Paul was the unregenerate, Saul of Tarsus, he constantly reviewed his personal autonomy ‘score card’. He had outstripped everyone in the Sanhedrin by his religious zeal and accomplishments. Each religious point he ‘scored’ deepened his confidence in his flesh (see Phil 3:2-8). Fleshly confidence does not die a quick dignified death. The cross must be repeatedly applied. But consider the horrific shock that awaits the unbeliever when he takes his autonomy lie with him to his death bed. As the sinner’s earthly life comes to an end, he is still attempting to live the autonomy lie. Death has the last word—it distorts the face of a deceased person into a macabre grin, mocking the illusion of autonomy. That hollow grin underscores that man cannot keep his soul alive (Ps 22:29). How merciful of God to break into our autonomy lie with the gift of humble repentance, enabling us to bow before Christ, risen Savior and Lord of the universe. Again, in past articles, we’ve spoken of the hundreds of thousands of plastic superhero toys (plastic Nimrods) and of course of the action movies which teach the rising generations, the lie that autonomy is possible, desirable, and is a function of one’s personal loyalty to self. Therefore, the sinner’s imagined autonomy must be guarded from anything invasive. The cross is viewed as unnecessary, despised, and hostile to self.
Another aspect of self-denial is holy resignation to God’s providence. This is manifested in dying to our demand to have our own way on our own time table. Many of the Psalms extol the benefits of waiting on the Lord. Now, the media, including entertainment, and sadly, Disney and Pixar, have generated a plethora of movies which train our adolescent and pre-teen kids to worship the self and self’s demands. In 2023, the animated Disney movie, Wish, had a not-so-subtle plot of selfism. The lead character was a godlike patriarchal figure who decides who gets their wishes granted, and who does not. And when a girl asks this figure, “do most people get their wishes?” He replies with a note of haughtiness, "Most people do not receive their wishes, because I deem them unworthy of having their wishes granted." This patriarchal figure appears to gain satisfaction in withholding people’s wishes. In response, the little girl wishes on a star instead of bringing her wishes to this austere man. Upon receiving her wishes from the star, the man becomes furious, accusing her of treason. And so, because your deepest wishes define the real you, the movie infers, you should be suspicious of anyone that won’t grant you your wishes when they have the power to do so. Sadly, this theme makes the pride of life a sought-after value. The self-focused life is the devilish religion of personal autonomy. The heroine in the movie receives her wish from a star, not from the male demagogue. He is painted as a villain; cruel, untrustworthy, angry god; withholder of wishes. And this little girl is taught that she knows best—self is her trustworthy compass. And now she has a redemptive role in ‘helping others’ see the brilliance of self-trust. She’s able to get what she wants by working around this authority figure. How sobering that this is such a bald-faced re-write of the Lie pawned off upon Eve. Why parents would let their young children watch this movie, especially pre-adolescent girls, is beyond rational.
One of the most ironic commands in Scripture is ‘stay free’ (Gal 5:13; Ex 20:1-17; Deut 5:6-21). “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Christian freedom is not safe if divorced from self-denial. For Paul tells us that our freedom is to be channeled into love’s service of the brethren. You’d think that our human sense of self-preservation would incline us to remain free. But if we could truly take the measure of the deviousness, fascination and attraction of the lusts of the flesh, we would better understand what threatens the experience of our Christian freedom. Redeeming grace and sonship answer our deepest hunger of soul for love and belonging. Salvation in Christ Jesus meets these profound needs—essentially filling our ‘God-shaped’ vacuum of soul. But the world uses every medium imaginable to parade its seductive counterfeits of illicit sex and violence. These two themes fill the silver screen providing popular culture with amusement. This duo is the mantra of the ghetto, and not surprisingly, for where the family is in tatters, love and belonging are sparse. Consequently, illicit sex and violence press into the void with their soul-tearing counterfeits. But how did this destructive dysfunction become mainstreamed in hip hop music, rap, R rated films, clothing fashion, tattoos, dance, vernacular, and Super Bowl half-time shows? Answer: where the practice of the gospel is absent, men will let their flesh set the standard for their behavior. The abnormal is treated as normal, then it is eventually praised as freedom of expression. “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Rom 1:28-32). Thus, when Scripture commands the believer to stay free, it is a call to discernment, to self-control, to the use of one’s liberty in the service to the Body of Christ (Gal 5:13). To love God in Christ requires self-denial, a willingness to refuse to be conformed to the lustful pattern of this present world (Rom 12:1-2).
Self-denial is closely associated with the perseverance and endurance which our Lord calls for. Those running to win, running to finish well, running to complete the race, know very well that self-denial is essential in each leg of the race (2 Tim 2: ; 1 Cor 9: ). For our progress is opposed by exhaustion, setbacks, delays, suffering, tribulations, spiritual warfare, the weakness of the flesh, etc. (Heb 12: ). Under the theme of perseverance, there are numerous Old Testament figures who had to wait for promised blessings to come after broken expectations, tribulations, and delayed hope. They faced reversals, crushing afflictions, trouble and tribulations, and often circumstances beyond their understanding. A portion of this group of persons would be Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Joshua, Caleb, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Daniel, etc. and also, Hannah and Naomi.
Self-denial commanded by Christ Jesus
Self-denial is essential to the Christian’s walk
Self-denial is almost completely neglected as a priority in churches
Self-denial is essential for fruitfulness
Self-denial is blessed with divine promises
Self-denial is more about relationship than rules
Self-denial is an indispensable mark of a Christ-follower
Self-denial is inseparable from God’s plot of conformity to Christ
Self-denial is at the heart of godly masculinity
Natural, unregenerate men operate in accordance with the pride of life, living by a set of exponents praised by the world. These exponents include one’s achievements in finance, business, fitness, popularity, creativity, beauty, personality, possessions, networking, and of course, the things which enhance status. The exponents are summarized by the following quip: people chase beauty, bucks, and brains, power, possessions, and pleasure. This is essentially, living for the praise of man (Jn 12:43). But is it possible to have a high score in these exponents, but fail to do the will of God the Father? Jesus warned that living for the praise of man opposes belief and the glory of God. “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?” (Jn 5:44; 12:43). According to the words of Christ in Matthew 7, those who fail to do the will of the Father will perish forever. Conversely, those who serve Christ and righteousness, will enjoy the fruit of sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life (Rom 6: ).
And then, I'm recommending at this point to draw from a sermon in the GFL collection, an article of the month titled, “Our Gracious Resources in Christ.” It is drawn from 2 Peter 1:3-13. God has granted us through Christ, everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has designated us partakers of the divine nature. He’s also described our redeemed liberty—marking us as escapees from the corruption that’s in the world by lust. And our response, by which we manifest our cherishing of Christ and these gracious resources, is to pursue Christian character with all our might. And that Christian character is defined in a series of virtues in 2 Peter 1:5-8. That section is followed by the priceless benefits of practicing Christian virtue. Every aspect of Christian character is only developed by means of self-denial.
Reliance upon man’s philosophy, like the misguided mindset of the Corinthians, is manifested in religion. ‘Big box churches’, attract people by showiness, by performances, by eloquence, by programs, by elements of natural wisdom, and by offering personal peace and prosperity by what is not taught, namely the suffering in the cross. The messages are tailored to the following sentiment: I just want a formula for a Christianized successful business, a successful marriage, successful friendships. Don't let trouble near my door please. For the flesh hates the iron nails of the cross, which pierce our unmortified areas of sin and our guarded regions of impenitence and hidden lusts. The nails of the cross pierce these things. And in despising the penetrating, searching power of the cross, attraction-model churches offer a cross-less Christianity, which is quite hospitable to personal adequacy, quite hospitable, to the values of the religious consumer. Where the theology of the cross is absent, men eschew Christ’s purposes in sufferings, therefore, it follows that the cross is intentionally missing. Thus, elements that allow man to stay on the throne will be present. What are some of the elements of the cross that we don’t hear preached in attraction model churches? First and foremost, we don't hear about co-death with Christ, cosuffering with Christ, not much about co- resurrection with Christ, and ultimately not much about co-glory and co- regency with Christ. Thus, 2nd Corinthians sets up a contrast as does 1 Corinthians between man’s wisdom and God's wisdom in action, with divine wisdom summarized in the phrase, “Christ, and Him crucified.” Now, Paul’s opponents, his critics, the false apostles, had been courting the loyalty of the Corinthians, much like a cultist ringing your doorbell, trying to lure you into its false doctrine. Along with the worldly substitute of natural wisdom described in the Book of James, this short epistle calls this human perspective, natural wisdom from below, James 3:13-18. There’s a way which seems right unto a man (Prov 14:12), but the end of those ways is death.
This also connects with Romans chapter 9, about which a book by Jay Adams is titled, The Grand Demonstration. We think about how remarkable it is that both vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath are formed from the same lump of clay. It’s also remarkable that the vessels do not feel compelled from the outside when they make their life choices under God’s sovereignty, but act in accordance with their own wills, desires, and natures. It’s also remarkable that God is completely free and completely holy in exercising His right as the Potter over the clay—whether He shows mercy or whether He hardens. In response to this, it’s quite remarkable that each individual feels independent in his life choices, and not controlled from powers external to him. In fact, when an individual makes his own choices, these choices are real, and spring from a will which is functioning as a free moral agent. This is incredible in terms of responsibility and repentance, for God causes our choices to be real, and invests them with eternal significance. This is remarkable in light of the truth of His absolute sovereignty. What a massive incentive this is for repentance and self-denial. For both the old unrenewed nature and the new regenerated nature illustrate their character in their free choices and in the type of service chosen (Rom 6). Their natures are expressed in their sowing, in their life direction, in their functional affections, and ultimately in their reaping.
Dads, you are the guardians of your children’s souls—inform yourselves; mortify your passivity, step into your God-appointed role!