Thankful for The Word

Every week when my pastor preaches God's word, I go away encouraged, and challenged, and usually convicted. I am so thankful for the Scriptures, and for Brian as God has used his teaching in my life for many years now. (Being married to him for 24 years has also been rather nice!) This past Sunday, I was so pierced by one part of the sermon that I just wrote OUCH under that section of my notes.  Here's part of what he said:

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Our text identifies areas that we are to die to our selves.

George Muller of Bristol expressed it in clear terms.

"There was a day when I died, utterly died, died to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God." [quoted by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 291-292].

How does this work out in our daily lives? To begin with we must get a handle on the sinfulness of self.

If left to ourselves we will assert our rights in every situation. But we have gone to the cross, laid down the rule over our own lives - including our assertion of personal rights, and given all to Jesus Christ. He is now King over us, and He will not tolerate our defiant assertion of our own rights, for to do so will only lead into sin.

At the heart of every sin is the selfish claim that I have a right to indulge my mind or desires or flesh into some arena forbidden by our Lord (James 1:13-16).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones gave a series of questions that I found searching and helpful in considering the sinfulness of self.

Whenever I notice in myself a reaction of self-defense , or a sense of annoyance or a grievance, or a feeling that I have been hurt and wronged and am suffering an injustice-the moment I feel this defensive mechanism coming into play, I must just quietly face myself and ask the following questions.

·         'Why exactly does this thing upset me?

·         Why am I grieved by it?

·         What is my real concern at this point?

·         Am I really concerned for some general principle of justice and righteousness?

·         Am I really moved and disturbed because I have some true cause at heart or, let me face it honestly, is it just myself?

·         Is it just this horrible, foul self-centeredness and self-concern, this morbid condition into which I have got?

·         Is it nothing but an unhealthy and unpleasant pride?' [294].

We also, as Lloyd-Jones reminds us, need "to realize the extent to which self controls your life" [294].

So much of what we do is not to the glory of God but for our own aggrandizement. It can happen in everything from friendships to the marital life to the sermons we preach. We must take great care to examine ourselves, and guard our ambitions against the tyranny of self.