One supreme lesson that every disciple must learn is that we can never hope to be prepared to rule “WITH” Christ until we are willing to be ruled “BY”Christ. To "deny self" means to absolutely refuse to let "self" reign in our lives, but to turn our lives over to the Lord Jesus so completely that He alone rules our lives and His will in all that we do is our consuming passion.

So often we think of Jesus only laying down His life by His death on the cross, but actually, His entire life was "laid down" as a "living sacrifice" for others.

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." — Matthew 16:24. The essence of these requirements for those who desire to be revealed before all of creation as a son of God (Romans 8:19) is a LIVING SACRIFICE — laying down our lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), “which IS your reasonable service” — which is actually LOVE IN ACTION. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” — John 15:13.

LORD, our God, our great God, let the fragrance of Your love fill all the earth and all of creation. Let our nostrils and bellies be filled with the unmistakable and irrepressible aroma of You. That every nation and every heart may know the sweet nectar and honeycomb that is the inimitable bouquet and scent of the bloom of the precious Rose of Sharon.

“I am the rose of Sharon, a rose of the valley"

Song of Solomon 2:1