As the Head of the church Christ is authoritatively calling upon every person who claims to believe on Him to follow His example of self-denial and self-sacrifice.... They are called upon to rally without delay under the blood-stained banner of Christ Jesus. Withholding nothing, they are to make an entire offering for the attainment of eternal, measureless results—the salvation of souls. (TMK 81.5) MC VC

What is it to sow to the flesh? It is to follow the desires and inclinations of our own natural hearts. Whatever may be our profession, if we are serving self instead of God we are sowing to the flesh. The Christian life is a life of self-denial and cross bearing. We are to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.... We cannot inquire, What is for our convenience? but only, What are our orders? No one looks upon the life of a soldier as a life of self-pleasing and gratification. We are on the battlefield today, and two great forces are ever contending for the mastery.... (TMK 92.2) MC VC

Many teach that all that is necessary to salvation is to believe in Jesus, but what saith the word of truth?—“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). We are to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,”(1 Timothy 6:12) take up the cross, deny self, war against the flesh, and follow daily in the footsteps of the Redeemer.... (TMK 115.2) MC VC

The Lord calls His yoke easy and His burden light. Yet that yoke will not give us a life of ease and freedom and selfish indulgence. The life of Christ was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice at every step. And His true follower, with consistent, Christlike tenderness and love, will follow in the footsteps of his Master. (TMK 120.6) MC VC

To be a Christian is not merely to take the name of Christ, but to have the mind of Christ, to submit to the will of God in all things. Many who profess to be Christians have yet to learn this great lesson. Many know little of what it is to deny self for Christ’s sake. They do not study how they can best glorify God and advance His cause. But it is self, self, how can it be gratified? Such religion is worthless. In the day of God those who possess it will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. (TMK 174.3) MC VC

Had the law of God been changed in one precept since the expulsion of Satan from heaven, he would have gained on earth after his fall that which he could not gain in heaven before his fall. He would have received all that he asked for. We know that he did not.... The law ... remains unalterable as the throne of God, and the salvation of every soul is determined by obedience or disobedience.... Jesus, by the law of sympathetic love, bore our sins, took our punishment, and drank the cup of the wrath of God apportioned to the transgressor.... He bore the cross of self-denial and self-sacrifice for us, that we might have life, eternal life. Will we bear the cross for Jesus? (TMK 289.4) MC VC