The Religion of SELF

The world has no shortages of religions, the many huge mainline systems with followers in the millions as well as the small pods scattered abroad all embracing to some degree or another the laws and precepts of their own faith, Christian and otherwise.
The interesting common denominator of every creature in this vast religious system which transcends the obvious differences of each great religion and their many denominations and branches is this one familiar aspect rooted in each human being; ‘self’.
Self, how does one explain the meaning of self? We could say in simple terms that self is who I really am deep inside beyond all the facades and pretenses, the ‘me’ that I know best and may not want anyone else to know or even see. This would only partly describe self,(without making this into some deep theological thesis) the other side of self that gives ‘self’ it’s animation and character is found in the baser makeup of our human D.N.A. the Bible calls ‘flesh’ or ‘carnality’. This infamous common denominator of human beings; and that is all human beings on the planet, has faced off with us at one time or another and more accurately on a regular basis, pushing us around and driving us to places and muscling us to do things we thought we would never do. This underlying invisible force is our flesh or the power of our carnal nature. Keep in mind I am not talking about our skin or flesh, tissue muscle, or our biological frame. The flesh that I am describing that is common to all of us is in all reality an essence, a mindset an inborn nature so part of us that we feel it is us, who we really are but it does not have to remain that way forever!
You see our human nature has many needs that are essential, our need to drink water to hydrate our bodies, a need to eat for strength, a need for shelter and clothes to protect ourselves from the elements, a need for love and understanding and on it goes, we have need of many things as humans which are essential and necessary for our growth and normal development.
We have a dilemma here, we can openly acknowledge at least to ourselves that there are many times we would wish to do something but there is a force in us that keeps us from doing the very good we wish to do, and propels us to do things that are wrong and shameful at times. On the other hand we can go on pretending; that there is no internal conflict plaguing me at the moment nor has there ever been, there is only peace in my soul.
In the book of Galatians in the New Testament the apostle Paul gives a list of what he calls the ‘fruit of the flesh’. In an orchard of various fruit trees we might not be able to recognize what kind of tree we may be looking at until we see the kind of fruit it produces, the leaves, bark and shape of the tree are not enough at times to make a positive identity. The same is true with the characteristics of our human nature. We could say that outbursts of violent anger are normal and are to be accepted as such. However it is only as we contrast that kind of behavior or fruit with a ‘norm’ or the characteristics of that particular tree (Christ likeness) that we can distinguish the tree and the fruit with assurance.
Here’s a list of what Paul describes as fruit or deeds of the flesh or our carnal nature.
Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes dissensions factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these of which I forewarn you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”(Check out the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22,23)
After reading a list like that it becomes very obvious that we all have areas God still needs to help us in as we honestly look inside and call these things what they are and surrender them to God. There is no magic wand to wave over them and make them disappear or have someone pray over us and cast them out. Rather these areas where our carnal ‘fleshy’ natures have been ruling or driving our ‘bus’ taking us at times where we do not want to go, need to be confessed and laid at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. The ‘deeds of the flesh are the evidence that our flesh (self) is very much alive and ruling our lives and we are subject or slaves to its dictates.
Our lives must be brought under ‘divine’ order as God ‘graces us’ to deal honestly with jealousy, envy, strife or drunkenness… and yes, inch by inch we begin to take back the spiritual landscape of our minds. As we allow God to transform our minds by gazing on the real and true fruit of God’s character and His word and as we embrace His ways and deny the very questionable behaviors that have pulled us to think, live and react in selfish and egotistical ways.
Our biggest hindrance is not the devil; yes he may fan the flames and bring the nasty thoughts to our minds however, it is the very nature of who ‘we are’ in our fallen nature that is so alien and adversarial to any transformation brought about by God’s Holy Spirit. It goes without saying that at times we experience failure in our moral or ethical code of conduct or become slaves to areas of substance abuse. It happens, yes even to fine upstanding Christians, we may seek help, although hesitantly at times, however we still do it to overcome our secret demons and to try to get free of our problems. Often we would rather place the blame on everyone else but ourselves. Yes there are times when something happens to us at the hands of others that initiates or triggers a crisis that leaves us very compromised and in our moments of pain, confusion and misunderstanding we open doors letting the giant gorilla in that once in, the gorilla does not want to leave. We find ourselves stuck and overwhelmed with a new added problem.
We are not always to blame for the things that happen to us, crisis, accidents, tragedy, life happens but where we are months and years later will reveal whether or not we allowed our lives to get hijacked on some runaway train of pain, just letting ourselves go for a long and terrible ride.
Flesh has desires, we looked at normal needs earlier, what we begin to recognize as we look at our personal issues is the distinction between what is normal human needs and what we could term as ‘appetites’ that are never satisfied, an unquenchable thirst for more and more that begins to take us beyond the boundaries that are ordinary, regular or average and sanctioned by God to meet the obvious natural requirements we all have.
Alcoholism, binging in areas of food, drinks, drugs, sex, and pornography and on and on the bondages go. Unabated desires for sports, games, gambling and whatever else our human spirit finds itself ensnared to, unable to stop or relent. These are all emblematic of a much greater and deeper need never being met or satisfied.
All these to be sure are the ‘deeds’ or manifestations of our carnal natures, while the origin of that fruit or the tree that continues to produce it is still called “self”. Human nature does have an origin just as the human species has an origin. The species was created by God male and female; however the ‘self’ has its origin and awakening in the same Garden of Eden as it sought to be like God ‘apart’ from taking on the nature of God by intimate fellowship with God. Satan asked the loaded question which triggered an awakened desire in Adam and Eve to be like God apart from Him and in actual disobedience of His will. Autonomous, self governing, independent ‘self’ was born; in a desire to serve its own interest and not those of God which from the very beginning had been Adam and Eve’s one true purpose, fulfilment and joy.
Christians continue to wrestle with the ‘outgrowth’ of self, yet as I explained these are the ‘produce’ of the tree, it’s the tree that needs to be addressed not the fruit, change the nature of the tree and you change its fruit. As long as we indulge self and it is allowed to pursue its desires unchecked we will continue to be the captives of sin and self serving, a very selfish and empty existence indeed.
Self must be crucified! This is not an actual crucifying our bodies on a tree, rather it is a denying and renouncing of these practices, mindsets and lifestyles by choosing to break agreement with them, not just a denial of one mindset but there has to be an embracing of another, a Christ like mindset.(Galatians 5:24)
We must have a starting point and it has to begin with a stark and distinct choice to deny self and that can only be done by embracing Jesus Christ and His cross. We must work in conjunction with God’s Holy Spirit, and as He leads and begins to illuminate areas that displease and grieve Him. We then must respond to Him as He enables us to choose to break company with mindsets and attitudes we picked up in the world before we knew Christ as Savior. Please understand we cannot ‘con’ God we must begin to hate what He hates and love what God loves. Our entire will must be to please God first and always, only then we can rest assured that we will come through and find the place of victory as we abide in Christ.
Victory is not in the absence of conflict or temptation, victory even in adversity is found in our close proximity with Christ, seeking those things above where Christ is seated. (Colossians 3:1-3) There is a grace and power God provides as He Himself helps us to break our allegiance with sin, attitudes and wrong mindsets and places within us a new desire in us to live godly and righteously. (Ephesians 2 / Colossians 2:10-15)(Titus 2: 11,12)
Self can be at home with a religious lifestyle that places no demands on the individual to deny sinful passions, or to ‘take up your cross and follow Me’ (Jesus to His disciples).In fact our flesh or sin loving nature can feel right at home in most of our church services. Self can live unrepentant and unashamed at our altars; how tragic, how fearful, when God has provided all manner of mercy and grace for us to turn from old patterns and turn to Him even in our pitiful state which rears its head so often. Even our best five minutes on this planet pales in comparison to a single moment when God’s great mercy breaks forth in our hearts to reveal His endless unmerited love for us.
We have to begin with an intent to obey God right where we are, this is not about performance or accomplishments, God is not interested in what we can do for Him, He desires that we bow our hearts in genuine sorrow and begin to deal with the issues that are obvious corrupt practices and attitudes.( Titus 2:11, 12)Our sincere desire to obey opens doors of grace to live above the defeated mindsets of so many. Even here ‘self’ wants to take the moral high ground with deeds and prayers that may sound and appear to be very pious, side stepping root causes. However you can usually tell by the genuine sorrow produced or its lack when getting one’s life in holy order.(2 Corinthians 7:10).
Some of us would like to believe that this process is over and done within a short time after our salvation. One honest look at the lives of ninety nine point nine percent of all Christians would reveal a disturbing truth that years later we are still wrestling with many areas of sin and their binding influences over our lives. This is a lifelong process fashioned this way I believe to keep us ever so close to the cross, an awareness of our sin and a dependence and awareness of who Christ is in our lives. Also it reveals how slow we can be at responding to God’s instructions. A reliance wrought by a consciousness of who we are in ourselves and again who we are in Christ. This truth alone I believe keeps us very humble and pliable before God.
Only self will raise a protest or objection at this juncture of too much of God’s control in my life playing the ‘control card’ as we claim that as human beings we need more freedom and liberty to be whom we were destined to be.( hogwash)
The legalist want to keep God at a distance choosing to follow rules and precepts, avoiding what God Himself ordained for us that we might be complete in Him, via an intimate personal relationship. Religion and self go hand in hand boasting of its accomplishments, yet the followers trail along still in their chains with no real joy or testimony of God’s goodness. The reason being is that people who still choose to live their own unsurrendered religious lives have nothing good and genuine to say about God , to them He is still some distant ornery figure that we must appease with our own sacrifices and offerings hoping one day God will take notice of us.
What we have been given by God should trigger in us such gratitude; we can never begin to repay or work for a salvation that cost God the death of His Son. We were never even supposed to try; when we finally see His great love in spite of our incalculable sin (which He forgave and washed away) our lives should be spent in praise for His eternal love and goodness toward us.
The world has come to worship at the god of self and self serving, it’s all about me an unabashed love of self that borders on idolatry and yet this shameless affixation on the big ‘I’ sells the magazines and the fashions that many Christians buy to stay abreast of all the world’s standards, mindsets and interest. Self, self serving, self indulgence self, self, self, the big ‘I’ stands in the way, God will not remove the big ‘I’ we must deny self and crucify our flesh with all its wants and desires. This will be a daily exercise as we chose to pursue Christ and deny self in a world that keeps calling out to us to compromise our passions for God and exchange them for a few sour apples like Adam and Eve.
Self need no longer be allowed to exert its power and interest over us if we are ready to run to the cross and yield our sins of self interest to God who waits to empower us to overcome the hundred and one appeals to ungodly concessions. This is not to say that we will never fall or miss the mark, rather we have a place to go to even when we’ve blown it very badly, He’s still there as an ever present help in time of trouble.(1 John 1 chapter)
Let us begin with a genuine intent to obey Jesus Christ, let us set our hearts with a sincere desire to follow Him wherever He leads and whatever He ask. He will undertake for us on our behalf. His Holy Spirit will show us the areas that are not in line with His will this is not about a constant inner inspection to find our problems. God will turn the light on the problem areas but will also provide strength and encouragement for us to continue without being overwhelmed and discouraged.
Where else can we give someone ashes and in return we receive inward beauty.
“My Lord what love is this that pays so richly, that I the guilty one may go free,
Amazing love Oh what sacrifice the Son of God given for me
My debt He pays and my death He dies, that I might live.”