Self Love BLL 1-4-2019

Self Love

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” (2 Timothy 3:2)

Today, the notion that whatever feels good do it, has led to many, many pseudo church establishments that worship by means of contemporary celebration and social programs that breed self awareness. More accurately it can be defined as love of self more than love and praising God. Glorifying self, no matter how justified the source may seem, cannot be justified in the face of God. Nor can the vast number of feel good programs, self awareness groups or connecting with Jesus while evading His substitution, sacrificial death become a proper and pleasing method of worship in God’s eyes. It is just plain wrong. Worship services that please our Lord are simple, direct love messages. Vast numbers of dance recitals telling the story of “Little Moses” or the den of Lions may hold spectators attention and draw crowds and money but do not serve and glorify God. Too many “churches” today sport numbers of attendances in the hundreds and dollars in the thousands are great attention drawers. Fortunately God’s people worship the Son. Money, numbers and notoriety have no place in congregational gatherings if idolized. Many so called progressive churches display massive world centered expenditures. Churches depending on celebrities, renowned stage plays and/or social group meetings to imitate Christian gathering to service the church and our Lord simply miss the mark of the high calling. Developing a “positive self-image” or “self-esteem” on the part of those exhibiting antisocial behavior is a great thing. There are organizations designed to accomplish that goal. However Christian worship entertains the deep things of God and leave self-awareness and self-image development to others. What these church playing fellows need, we are told, is to learn to love themselves more, to appreciate their own self-worth. The problem with this idea is that it is both not-scriptural and is unrealistic. People do not hate themselves. The Bible says that “no man ever yet hated his own flesh” (Ephesians 5:29).

Instead of learning to esteem ourselves, the Scripture commands us each to “esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). Even the apostle Paul, near the end of his life, considered himself so unworthy that he called himself the chief of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Learning within itself is not worship. Some are 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Some Christian leaders teach that the measure of our great value in the sight of God is the fact that Christ paid such a high price—His own death—to redeem us. The fact is, however, that His death is not the measure of our great value, but of our terrible sinfulness. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). How can such truth be learned through Stage performances, dance or play acting our troubles so our peers can arrive at an answer for us. Let’s get real. A proper Christian church is God centered and earthly pollutants free. The church is becoming lukewarm. It is the worshiping group of church goers that God said He would spew out of His mouth; we are seeing the growth of the last day worshiping group.

For sure, the rise of this self-love idea is itself a sign of the last days, when men shall be “lovers of their own selves.” It is the main characteristic of “New Age” humanism, which is based squarely upon evolutionary pantheism. There are many ways to get the lost into the church organization but only one way for them to get into heaven’s gates.

Christ died for our sins because He loved us, not because He needed us. We should live for Him in thanksgiving for the “amazing grace, that saved a wretch like me!” Know God, know peace. Amen BLL 1-4-2019