THE IDOL: Self.

Plot twist! Every post in this blog series has been talking about the same idol. All of them - approval, distraction, control, and comfort - have one thing in common: YOU. 

We idolize approval because we want people to think highly of us. We idolize distraction because we don’t want to face the reality that we aren’t the center of the universe. We idolize control because we believe we can do it best. We idolize comfort because it makes us feel good. 

The core idol behind all idols is the self. There are two ways to exist in this world: Everything revolves around ME. Or everything revolves around GOD. Those are the only two options. Paul Tripp explains it well,

“The spiritual danger here is that when awe of God is absent, it is quickly replaced by our awe for ourselves. If you are not living for God, the only alternative is to live for yourself.” 

Jesus warns us often about the danger of living for ourselves. The following saying is recorded six times in the Gospels, and Jesus said it on at least four different occasions: 

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

This was clearly important to Him. In Luke 9, Jesus connects this statement to another famous teaching: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” When you pick up a cross, where are you going? To your death. Our old self deserves to die! We are glory thieves who operate in rebellion against the reality of God’s good, kind, and powerful reign over all things. 

Here is the mantra of our Old Self: “My desires at the expense of God’s glory.” We spurn the God who created us and sustains us and provides for us and loves us. We are like a toddler asking his dad to pick him up just so he can reach his face to slap it. We have used the very breath God gave us to curse His name. We will never have an accurate view of the gospel if we don’t understand the depths of our sin - just how wicked and offensive and rebellious it is. To be stubbornly self-centered in a God-centered universe. 

THE LIE: My life is about me and for me. I deserve a good life. I have to look out for myself first. If I don’t stick up for myself to get what I want, then no one else will. If everything revolved around me, then I would be happy. 

Anything in us that takes glory from God is the Old Self. Before Christ we were curved in on ourselves. Everything was processed through the filter of our own self-concern. 

The idol of self speaks lies that sound so true and natural to our fallen ears. But the more we look out for #1, the more we are driven away from God and His calling on our life. When we grasp our self-interest with white knuckles, we let go of God’s gifts. 

This includes self-righteous effort! The mentality that we can be good enough on our own is stealing glory from God. Thinking we can earn His favor. Thinking we can impress Him with our discipline and willpower. It’s an offensive thing to God. But when we place our life in His hands in full surrender, His love and grace are ready to wash over us! 

THE GOSPEL: Jesus rescues us from ourselves. Jesus is life. God alone deserves all the glory and honor and praise! 

When we repent of our selfish sin and rebellion; when we die to our flesh; when we lose our Old Self; we actually FIND life for the first time. We are given a New Self. This is the upside-down kingdom! 

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20) 

⁹ “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Col. 3:9-10) 

Old Self mantra: “My desires at the expense of God’s glory.” 

New Self mantra: “God’s glory is my one desire.” When you see the depth of God’s love for you, all you’ll want is for His name to be lifted high. Jesus went through the violence of crucifixion for you and for me. His love was so great He was willing to endure the beating, spitting, and whipping. His love was so great He was willing to let nails drive through His hands and feet. His love was so great He was willing to suffocate in bloody agony. And this was His prayer during His suffering: “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

The violence of the cross shows us God’s absolute hatred for sin and His absolutely ferocious love for us. Even as we were stained with sin, God declared worth over us. He gives us our value and identity. 

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) 

So now we live for Him!