I saw a famous pastor share this on their IG account. As you can see, within 14 hours it had quote a bit of response. This is a very popular teaching, but not rooted in the Word of God!
Sounds noble, right?
And it’s everywhere. In sermons, devotionals, social media posts. We’re told to keep dying, keep denying, keep crucifying ourselves until we’re finally… what? Holy enough?
But here’s the thing: that phrase isn’t even in the Bible.
Not once.
You Already Died. That’s the Gospel.
The key verse to understand here is:
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” – Galatians 2:20
Paul didn’t say he was trying to be crucified.
He didn’t say it was a daily goal.
He said it already happened.
And the reason? Because when Jesus died, we died with Him.
“Our old self was crucified with Him…” – Romans 6:6
This isn’t a metaphor or a goal—it’s a spiritual reality that took place the moment you placed your faith in Jesus.
What About Luke 9:23—“Take Up Your Cross Daily”?
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
This is Jesus speaking before the cross, to Jews who had not yet been born again. He wasn’t describing a post-salvation lifestyle. He was inviting them to lose their lives in order to gain true life.
In other words: “Come with Me to the cross. Come and die… so you can be born again.”
And that’s exactly what happened to us when we believed! Plus the word, “daily” isn’t there in the earliest manuscripts.
We took up our cross. We followed Jesus… right into His death.
And now what?
You’ve already died.
You’ve already been raised.
You are now alive in Christ!
What About “I Die Daily” in 1 Corinthians 15?
Let’s not twist Paul’s words:
“I die daily.” – 1 Corinthians 15:31
That sounds spiritual—until you read the context.
Paul wasn’t talking about a spiritual process of self-denial. He was talking about literal, physical danger:
“Why are we in danger every hour? … If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus…”
He’s saying, “I risk my life daily for the gospel.” Not, “I crucify my spirit daily to be a better Christian.”
“Die to Self” Isn’t in the Bible
This phrase sounds holy, but it misses the finished work of the cross. Did you know that phrase die to self isn’t there in the Bible!? It is a totally man made theology, with no basis.
You don’t need to keep killing what God already killed.
The old self is gone. You are new. You are united with Christ, one spirit with Him, and compatible with God.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away…” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Should I Deny Myself Then?
Jesus told the Jews to deny themselves and follow Him before the cross.
But should you, as a born-again believer, deny your new self?
No way.
You are holy, righteous, blameless, and empowered by the Spirit of God.
Why would you deny that?
Instead, count yourself alive to God.
“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 6:11
So What Do I Do Now?
You don’t need to “die daily.”
You don’t need to “crucify your ego.”
You just need to remember who you are.
Wake up every day and say:
“Thank You, Jesus—I’m alive in You. You live in me. I’ve already died, and now I live.”
Live from that place.
Not striving to die.
But rejoicing that you already have.
Final Thought:
The message of Christianity isn’t about dying over and over.
It’s about one death, one resurrection, and one incredible new life that you get to walk in—right now.
You don’t need to die to self.
You just need to believe what Christ already did to the old you…
And enjoy who He’s made you now.
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