p. 771 | WHAT IS SELF-DENIAL? by William Raymond

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 21, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 49.

WHAT IS SELF-DENIAL?

By William Raymond

My mind has been directed to the subject of self-denial, and I am convinced that the common idea of it is entirely wrong. My mind was directed to it in the following manner. I found by the teachings of our blessed Saviour, that self-denial was a condition of discipleship. I found also by comparing my experience with the common idea of it, that I knew nothing about it, and I inevitably came to the conclusion that either the common idea of it was wrong, or I was not a Christian.

As I was traveling from place to place, I asked ministers and Christians what they considered as a correct definition of self-denial. I universally received this idea: When a Christian sees anything after which his heart longs, right it may be in itself, yet under present circumstances forbidden by the spirit of the gospel, a struggle ensues in the mind. If he decides on the side of the gospel, and foregoes the pleasure of the thing thus forbidden, it is self-denial.

Now, if this idea is correct, I know nothing about it, and have known nothing about it for more than four years. For more than four years whenever I have seen duty or the will of God, my whole soul has risen right up to do it; and whenever I have seen anything incompatible with the spirit of the gospel, I have not had a single desire for it any more than if the thing was not in existence.

When God called me to go to Africa, my whole soul rose up to go. A blast and a mildew seemed to be spread over everything here. I saw no beauty in anything unless it was in some way connected with my duty.

I have heard of the peculiar emotions that missionaries have felt as they have looked upon their native land for the last time. I stood upon the deck of the vessel and saw my native hills sink—sink until they were entirely hidden behind the mass of water that lay between us, with no other emotion than that of joy—joy that my heavenly Father had counted me worthy to carry the lamp of life to those who sat in the region and shadow of death.

While laboring in Africa, midst all the trials incident to missionary life, I never had one longing desire after home or the privileges of civilization. If the common acceptance of the term is correct, it is no self-denial for me to return to that country. It is my pleasure and delight.

You may be ready to ask what I consider self-denial to be. I think self-denial is a state of mind in which the whole heart, under every circumstance and on every occasion, prefers Christ and duty to selfish gratification. It is a state of mind in which every gratification which is seen to conflict with the will of Christ is at once relinquished, without even the heart longing after it.

Faith is a state of mind, and yet there are particular acts of faith. In the same way, self-denial is a state of mind, and yet there are such things as particular acts of self-denial.

If this view of the subject is correct, it seems to me that many professors of religion know very little about it, and what they call self-denial is but a yoke of bondage which is entirely incompatible with the spirit of the gospel.—William Raymond.