Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

I understand this to mean deny yourself a righteousness that comes through the law. Deny yourself a righteousness that comes through what you are doing or not doing. 

I do not set aside the grace of God, if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing. Galatians 2:21

The whole deny yourself = deny your personhood, emotions, feelings, desires is part of the Keswick higher life movement. Learning to trust ourselves is part of leaving this mindset.

Walking in the Spirit means our spirit keeps in step with the Spirit. We are in union. Our mind is set on being righteous and holy as a gift. Apart from what we do or don’t do. Focusing on law and sin is a mind that is set on the flesh, a mind set on death. We put that old man to death by being righteous and holy as a gift, on account of Christ’s merits. This is God’s love for us. 

We are free to be.

Righteous and holy as a gift.

We are free from hierarchies in our relationships. We are free from one sided authority and one sided submission in our relationships. We share authority and submission with others. Each person has their own authority, but not over others. 

We are free to use whatever gifts God gives us, the gifts are not gendered. We have an open permission to use our gifts, abilities, vocation to help our neighbor out as we are willing and able to. Without Moses accusing us of all that we have left undone. 

Jesus’ yoke is easy and light. 

The religious spirit that wants to live under the rule and authority of the law is going to kick against the goad of being pleasing to God on account of Christ, crucified and resurrected. Being pleasing to God without doing anything. 

I followed after Jesus and away from the darkness of the law, and into the light of Christ. 

I followed after Jesus and away from gender roles of male authority and female submission.

I followed after Jesus and live with an open permission to do the good that I want to do, as I am willing and able to, without Moses accusing me of all that I have left undone.

I followed after Jesus by trusting that the fruit of the Spirit will show up when and where God wants them to. Meanwhile, Christ for you means, God’s Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control towards you. The law is not against such things.

The law is taken away through the body of Christ. It is no longer goading us into being righteous. This is the Joy of the Lord. By faith in Christ we are righteous and holy as a gift. Now we can see the Lord. Now we are in the kingdom operating in the freedom of the Spirit.