I’m writing on “American Idolatry,” in general, and the idol of self, in particular. I want you to see three things that Jesus said to “anyone who wishes to come after [Him].” And, by the way, no one wishing to come after Christ can continue to worship at the altar of the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I!
First, forsaking the idol of self requires Daily Denial—“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself.” We need to understand, though, that self-denial is more than denying yourself cake on Sundays…it is literally denying self! That word “deny” means to renounce or disown. So literally Christ is calling us to renounce the idol of self …to disown the idol of self!
A Christian writer from another generation, A. T. Pierson, said, “Getting rid of the ‘self-life’ is like peeling an onion: layer upon layer—and a tearful process!” What are those layers? One layer would be self-exaltation…or self-promotion…I’m talking about pride. The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self! And I think it’s very fitting that the middle letter of the word “pride” is the letter “i” because pride is all about “me, myself, and I.” We must be willing to peel back the layer of self-exaltation if we’re to forsake the idol of self!
Another layer that we have to be willing to peel back is that of self-indulgence. That’s when we say, “I’m going to do what I want to do because it makes me happy.” Listen, we justify our wrong-doing sometimes by saying, “But it makes me happy.” Forget what God says about it, “It makes me happy.”
May I tell you today that God’s primary objective for your life is not your happiness?!? His goal for you is His holiness… and His holiness will lead to your happiness, but so-called happiness doesn’t necessarily lead to holiness. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Blessed” = “Happy”
“Pure in heart” = “Holy”
“Happy are the holy!”
We must peel back the layer of self-indulgence if we’re to forsake the idol of self!
We could go on and on about the different layers of this proverbial onion, but let me mention one more—self-righteousness. If you read the New Testament objectively, you’ll see that the Pharisees during our Lord’s time on earth were greater sinners (if I can use that idea) because of their self-righteousness…they believed their exterior moral behavior commended them to God, but Jesus came along and exposed them as “white-washed tombs”…cleaned up on the outside but, on the inside, filled with dead men’s bones! The reason those who lived in open sin were attracted to Jesus was that they knew they were sinners. They knew their need for mercy, grace, and forgiveness. The Pharisees, however, didn’t realize how much they truly needed Christ. Their self-righteousness blinded them to their own sinfulness. Isaiah said in 64:6 that “…all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”
Listen, beware of a faith that is only on the outside. It’s like counterfeit cash; it might look nice but it’s not worth anything. Jesus warned in Matthew 7—“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (21-23).
Forsaking the idol of self includes disowning our own self-righteousness. Listen—it isn’t until we denounce ourselves as sinners deserving God’s judgment that we will throw ourselves upon God’s altar of mercy and entrust ourselves completely to Jesus Christ for salvation!
First, forsaking the idol of self requires Daily Denial—“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself.” We need to understand, though, that self-denial is more than denying yourself cake on Sundays…it is literally denying self! That word “deny” means to renounce or disown. So literally Christ is calling us to renounce the idol of self …to disown the idol of self!
A Christian writer from another generation, A. T. Pierson, said, “Getting rid of the ‘self-life’ is like peeling an onion: layer upon layer—and a tearful process!” What are those layers? One layer would be self-exaltation…or self-promotion…I’m talking about pride. The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self! And I think it’s very fitting that the middle letter of the word “pride” is the letter “i” because pride is all about “me, myself, and I.” We must be willing to peel back the layer of self-exaltation if we’re to forsake the idol of self!
Another layer that we have to be willing to peel back is that of self-indulgence. That’s when we say, “I’m going to do what I want to do because it makes me happy.” Listen, we justify our wrong-doing sometimes by saying, “But it makes me happy.” Forget what God says about it, “It makes me happy.”
May I tell you today that God’s primary objective for your life is not your happiness?!? His goal for you is His holiness… and His holiness will lead to your happiness, but so-called happiness doesn’t necessarily lead to holiness. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Blessed” = “Happy”
“Pure in heart” = “Holy”
“Happy are the holy!”
We must peel back the layer of self-indulgence if we’re to forsake the idol of self!
We could go on and on about the different layers of this proverbial onion, but let me mention one more—self-righteousness. If you read the New Testament objectively, you’ll see that the Pharisees during our Lord’s time on earth were greater sinners (if I can use that idea) because of their self-righteousness…they believed their exterior moral behavior commended them to God, but Jesus came along and exposed them as “white-washed tombs”…cleaned up on the outside but, on the inside, filled with dead men’s bones! The reason those who lived in open sin were attracted to Jesus was that they knew they were sinners. They knew their need for mercy, grace, and forgiveness. The Pharisees, however, didn’t realize how much they truly needed Christ. Their self-righteousness blinded them to their own sinfulness. Isaiah said in 64:6 that “…all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”
Listen, beware of a faith that is only on the outside. It’s like counterfeit cash; it might look nice but it’s not worth anything. Jesus warned in Matthew 7—“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (21-23).
Forsaking the idol of self includes disowning our own self-righteousness. Listen—it isn’t until we denounce ourselves as sinners deserving God’s judgment that we will throw ourselves upon God’s altar of mercy and entrust ourselves completely to Jesus Christ for salvation!
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