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| Self-Help Leads to Nowhere |
It is a pernicious lie that we change ourselves, or that we can indulge in self-improvement to improve our lot in life.
If I could fix myself, then there would no need for a Savior to come down from Heaven to save me.
Why do we have a problem with this? Because for so long, Christians have been getting mixed messages about law and grace. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. Yes, good, perfect.
BUT then we get this awful, destructive, very damaging mixed message, one which tells us that we need to keep the law in order to stay saved, or that we need to keep the law in order to become holy.
Not only is that absolute nonsense, but it's deadly. The law is a ministry of death and condemnation, and what's worse, the law was not designed to make us holy. It was designed to show us how unholy we are, to bring out the unholiness, the sin in our lives:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20).
And
"23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up
unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3:23-25)
So, there you go. The law is not something that we live by, but rather something that we "die by." It cannot help us, but rather shows us that we are helpless, and need a Helper.
And Jesus is that Helper!
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree:" (Galatians 3:13)
We do not transform or fix ourselves.
Daddy God transforms us, by the power of His Holy Spirit as we behold His Son, Jesus!
"17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
He fixes us, He makes us better, He causes us to resemble Him more and more. These changes are not based on our efforts, but rather as we receive greater revelation of Him!
This revelation is so important. For the longest time, I have been trying to fix myself, to work on my feelings, to feel better, to do more, to hold my emotions in line.
That is all wrong.
For the longest time, I thought that I was trying to live this life in front of me. I thought that this whole life depended on me. Yes, I knew that Jesus died for me, but no one had ever explained to me thate He lives in me and through me, and for me, too!
This is not a life of striving in our own efforts to make things happen. He changes us!
Consider this verse, too:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)
Notice that Paul writes "be transformed," not "transform yourself." This is not a work that we do, but that He does.
This revelation eviscerates all pretensions towards self-help. This revelation in God's Word does away with Alcholics Anonymous, all the crazy "self-help" literature in bookstores all over the country, all over the world. This revelation puts an end to "The Daniel Diet" and all the other "You Do Your Part" books and resources out there pushed by Christian authors and commentators.
The end of self-help is in Christ. He transforms us. We do not transform ourselves. Simple as that.
