How would you like to take a dose of hope today? The most common problem man has is looking unto himself instead of looking unto Jesus. He is also the most hopeless and helpless man, with no control over his natural desires and the pressures his world imposes on him. Whoever desires to save his life will end up losing it. The good news is that whoever is willing to lose his life by looking to Jesus will find it. Here's a basic case study which outlines the steps God gives to turn around a self-consumed sinner. There's quite a bit of Scripture involved, but I have often felt that too many references makes reading difficult. If you'd like a list of all the references I used to construct this list, ask me for it by leaving a comment.
1. No one hates himself. "Love your neighbor" is predicated on loving one's self as a reference point which all people can relate to. The same is used as an illustration for a man to care for his wife.
2. Man's problem is that he spends too much attention on himself. God's will for man in this cursed world is taking up the cross. A man who loses his life will find it, but one who spends his life finding himself will eventually lose it. A sincere friend like-minded to Jesus will care for his brethren.
3. There is no neutrality: either a man seeks his own, or the things of Christ Jesus. Where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. A man cannot store his treasure in the air, as it were. The natural man worships himself, focuses on his desires, and considers such desires worthy. His path leads him to 2 Timothy 3:15. The righteous man stores up his treasure in heaven, and receives everything he needs from that source.
4. In order to understand ourselves, we must understand ourselves in the context of Christ. A man must examine himself using God's Word as a lamp. "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble." As God enables us, we learn that when we think about ourselves, we need to think God's viewpoint about ourselves. In this way we accept what God has given us and do not think of ourselves in a way that is higher and unseemly.
5. We must trust ourselves (including all attempts at goodness) to God. First, He is the author of our faith, and also the finisher. "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ". In this way, we a) do not become self-sufficient, b) we take on God's viewpoint of ourselves, and c) we make an effort to obey God's commandments, because He is able to do the work of producing the fruit.
6. This is where the promises of Romans 8 come in, so that we can trust God instead of ourselves. We know we have:
a) everything from God pertaining to life and godliness because He did not spare His own son for our behalf.
b) the Providence of God which works out all things for our good, whether we sin or not.
c) the guarantee because every sinner who is predestined to the elect will be glorified - no sheep gets permanently lost.
d) God for us in His will and good pleasure.
e) the judgment of God in our behalf, so that no one can bring a charge against us or condemn us.
f) the love of Christ which cannot be separated from us, for inasmuch as God has created all things, nothing can usurp His power to separate us from Him.
7. In order to lay aside every encumbrance and run the race, we must look unto Jesus as the pattern, who endured the cross and hostility from sinners, and persevered, loving His own in the world until both the end of His life and the end when we are resurrected.
8. What do we do when we look to God and see ourselves as we should from God's perspective? We glorify God instead of ourselves; we also consciously determine that we will glorify God whether we exist, eat, or drink.
9. We determine that although we may not immediately find joy in glorifying God, but may feel pain as we are deprived of our pleasures (Hebrews 12:5-11); but this is eventually removed because our peace and joy are not from this world, but from above. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, etc, all of which lead to a productive and cheerful life in which we no longer require ourselves to be about the business of serving ourselves, nor do we constrain others to serve us.
10. As we receive the payoff of glorifying God, we look more and more into the glory of God so that we can do it better.
11. This leads us to the reformation of institutions and culture; we glorify God with the responsibilities He has invested in us.
"The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above."
Proverbs 14:14
It works!
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