ME, MYSELF AND I

Me myself and i are rapidly being moved out of my life. We are being evicted by The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. There is some reconstruction being done and some things need to be torn down to the foundation for them to take up permanent residence, but it is a welcome shake up, much needed, sometimes tearful and even happy. Always there is an underlying joy in my heart as the work is being done. It is a work from the inside out. It is exciting and new every day.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24

"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." Matthew 23:26

i am being shown that there are so many manifestations of the self to deny.

Self-exaltation- we are in no way to exalt ourselves, commend ourselves. 2 Corinthians 10:18 Isaiah 40:17; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 66:7

Self-confidence-we are not to trust in ourselves but instead are to trust only in the Lord. Psalm 60:11-12; Proverbs 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Self-righteousness-we are not righteous in ourselves and impossible to earn a righteous standing before God. Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 3:10-12, 7:18; Luke 18:9-14

Self-esteem-we have no inherent value apart from Jesus Christ. Whether it is high or low self-esteem. Psalm 8:4; Ephesians 2:4-7, 19-22

Self-willed- to do something arbitrarily without divine permission. To act on one's own decision rather than considering the needs of others and the purpose of God. Genesis 49:6; Titus 1:7; 2 Peter 2:10

i am sure you can come up with many others. As i learn Gods will for me in His word, through prayer and obedience, i know i must decrease while he increases (John 3:30). If i do not, His love cannot be flowing through me, i must be the empty vessel he uses to reach others, to reach the lost. How else is he to reach them but through us, his children, his ambassadors. He must be first in every aspect of my life.

These selfish things and all sin boil down to three things, The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (Genesis 3:6; 1 John 2:16). Since the fall of man to now, our own bad selves lead us right to hell.

So, we as believers have been brought to Godly sorrow because we have displeased our God, the one who made us to love him. We have confessed and repented of our sin and are saved, new creatures in Christ. Wow, now what? Well, now we live a life of righteous repentance every day, denying the self, we live a life loving God and our neighbors, we seek and save that which was lost. We love as God loves us.

i have some thoughts on love, the biblical selfless love of 1 Corinthians 13. i will blog that next... God bless you all, i love you and am praying for you.