For this article we are going to go over the subject of selfishness. Just how bad is selfishness? Let's find out.
So what does the scripture teach about being self-centered? It turns out that the bible has quite a bit to say about selfishness and how it is actually to the detriment of the one who is being selfish. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of verses one could reference in order to condemn this sin but for this article we are just going to cover a few verses just to get the point across that it's wrong and that it's something we as christians should strive to be against. This post will only be covering verses that appear in the new testament and lets begin in the gospels.
Mat 7:21-23 is arguable one of the most terrifying verses in all of scripture as it reveals the fact that there are many false christians out there who won't make heaven there home. It is true that those that do make it are the ones that do the Father's will. As Christians we must be willing to set aside our will when what we want doesn't line up with scripture.
All to often we put our own needs ahead of everyone else's. The second commandment of Mark 12:31 to love our neighbors as ourselves, hence selfishness is the neglect of this very important command. How often do you take time out of your day to demonstrate your love for others through your actions?
All too often men will look to the things of the world for their source of happiness and fulfillment, they want their best life now, so to speak. The bible speaks against this line of thought in the gospel of Luke and John (Luk 9:23-25, Luk 17:33, Joh 12:25). It teaches us that those that love their life or seek to save it will end up losing it but if they hate their life aka pick up their cross by denying themselves for Jesus they will end up saving it. I don't think this means that we can't have fun and enjoy the blessings that the Lord gives us while we sojourn he on earth but we shouldn't make these things our primary focus in this life. Our primary focus in this life is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, as well as loving others.
Luke chapter 12 is a great example of the terrible consequence of being selfish. It describes a rich man who has a great harvest but instead of giving the extra food to the needy he desired to pull down his barns and build bigger ones so that he could keep all that food to himself . As a result God required his soul.
In the Pauline epistles scripture further admonishes us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and to please our neighbor for his good to his edification instead of pleasing ourselves (Rom 12:1, Rom 15:1-3). I can't say as I am sure it is with many of you that I keep this scripture perfectly as I do indulge in sweets more often than I should. But that doesn't mean that we can't improve ourselves.
It seems to me that 1 Cor 10:24 flatley contradicts the prosperity gospel in that it instructs us to not seek our own but another's wealth instead. This lines up perfectly with Jesus instructions to not lay our treasures up here on earth.
Every day many people are being water baptized into the christian faith, but do they realize what it means. As Romans 6 teaches us, baptism is the sign of us dying to our old sinful self and being raised to walk in newness of life so that henceforth we should not serve sin. Scripture both teaches that those that have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, as well as instructs believes to put on Christ and not make provision for the flesh to fulfill it's lust (Rom 13:14, Gal 3:27). This indicates that it is both a one time event and also something we do in order to separate ourselves from sinning.
Therefore it is evident that one cannot be selfish and serve Christ simeotaneously, as 2 Cor 5 implies. For it teaches that we should live for him who died for us and not for ourselves. This is reinforced by Paul in
Phili 1:21 when he states "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.".
The bible also teaches us to look on the things of others (Phili 2:4), and
2Tim 3:2 lumps men being lovers of their own selves in with other unpleasant behaviours.
Given the context of Tit 1:7 and 2Pet 2:10 being self willed is not attribute christians should desire to have. To conclude this article on selfishness I want to address the age old question why are we here, or put another way what is our purpose in life? The answer is given in Rev 4:11, we are created for the Lord's pleasure.
Thanks for reading and please share!!
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