Self is the Problem: Christ is the Solution

I have written already about one powerful truth which I learned from another ex-AA member:

"The fire will put themselves out."

I have since received great insight from another dear pastor, Oregon-based Bob George of
"People to People" Ministries.

He taught me what the "self" problem is really all about:

The problem is that we love ourselves too much. When people say "I hate myself, I am so ugly!" They are not making any sense, because if they really did not like themselves, they would be happy to be ugly.

No, the problem is that people love themselves too  much, and they cannot stand that part of who they are does not measure up to what they want to be. Like a computer that we love but that does not work when we want it to, we get frustrated and angry when this computer, or any other appliance, does not cooperate, we get angry, and we end up hating that appliance because we want it to work, but it refuses to line up with our expectations.

This same frustration characterizes our depression, resentment, and fear in our lives. We struggle in our lives because we are still convinced in some way that we can fix ourselves, that if we try and behave a certain way, we will do well. Yet we are trapped in a body of death to the degree that we try to shape up our flesh. Paul exhorts us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16), and the Spirit of God sheds His love in our hearts, in our very being.

We cannot love ourselves properly. We cannot fix ourselves. We need a love greater than ourselves, an unconditional love which pardons all our sins and imputes to us righteousness apart from the law.

In fact, Jesus Christ not only died for all of our sins, but by His death we die to ourselves and receive His life. He then comes to live in us, and we rest so that He can work in us:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)

Grace gives us power to live in this life, grace which defines us and drives us:

"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

This same grace also defends us from the attacks of the Enemy and the reproaches of the world:

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)

Grace is all of Christ, none of us. Grace is unearned, unmerited favor, culminating in all of our sins forgiven, paid for, and wiped away before God, who pledges in the New Covenant that he will be propitious to our unrighteousness, and remember no more our sins and iniquities.

All of this is Christ in us, our hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27), for Jesus came to us, full of grace and truth (John 1: 14)

For this reason, we are invited to labor, to make it our number one priority, to rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:11)

Self , our flesh, is the problem, all of our writhing, all of our striving. Instead of our obedience, we are called to bring every  thought into captivity, into submission to Christ's obedience, that He is our life (Colossians 3: 4), that He is working in us to will and to do what He wants us to do (Philippians 2: 13).