In denying the self-centered sinful way of life, we return to the God-centered life path that God has long intended for us at creation.

In such radical about face, the humanity gains the greatest glory that is only found in the Creator God.

Self denial is turning from deficiency of God's glory to the ever glowing glory of God, both in this life and in the life to come.

Man is imagio deo. Human is the image bearer of God. Christ models as imagio deo perfectly. To deny ourselves and to follow Christ means to imitate Christ in his perfect modeling of true humanity that finds its glory in God. In other words, the very prototype of humanity is the precise and only model for us to follow.

Thus to deny our present self that is far detached from being an imagio deo is to gain the best of the best in humanity.

Hell is a wasteland where imagio deo is nowhere to be found.