Dying to self is  a prerequisite for being a follower of Christ. Being ‘self-focused’ rather than ‘God focused’ can have its root from pride (self), idolatry and desires. This is a form of sin that is abhorrent to God. These two things that keep us from God, we need to die to ourselves.

Lord,

I am in awe of my privilege! Iunderstand trully what an honour it is to be partakers of the Heavenly Kingdom! Lord, would you please Help me to lay myself at the altar,day in and out , and remind me always the eternal truth by laying down my life, I gain it eternally. Let this aroma of Your living presence in me through surrender and submission, make me worthy of this eternal privilege. In Your name I pray this, Amen.

Always we need to remember as a ground rule, one who proclaimed that trying to save our earthly lives would result in our losing our lives in the kingdom. But those who would give up their lives for His sake would find eternal life as in Matthew 16:24–25 and  Mark 8:34–35. Indeed, Jesus even went so far as to say that those who do not persevere and carry his own cross and  are unwilling to sacrifice their lives for Him cannot be His disciples as in Luke 14:27.

 Dying to self is a foundational building brick of being born again;in which we take up our cross and follow Christ. The old self dies and the new self comes to life as in John 3:3–7.

Not only are Christians born again when we come to salvation, but we also continue dying to self as part of the process of sanctification.

We  have taken out your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.

According to Eph 2:19,20 and 22 we are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, in ancient times was what we today might call an “Extended family” built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus himself as the chief corner stone. In Jesus we too are being built together in which God lives by His spirit.