One way the sin of self is revealed, is to be selfish. It is to focus on ourselves, only. The statement was once made, ‘I know it is a sin to be selfish, but selfishness is so attractive.’

When we give ourselves permission to put ourselves, (our desires, our pleasures, and our needs) first, everyone near us will be affected. It is a sin to be selfish. (Philippians 2:3), "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

The oldest ‘designer religion’ (a writer says), is discovering self, indulging self, and defending self. Self has always been the central preoccupation of the sinful nature. A multitude of sins, (down through the ages), have been committed because of putting one’s own interests first, no matter how it affects someone else.

Selfishness results in greed, envy, and [always] jealousy. Selfishness is the breeding ground for hatred, resentment, rage, and revenge. (James 4:1 NCV), "Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you."

To have self removed from our heart, is more important than at first realized, because ‘self must die in us, before Christ can live in us.’ (Romans 6:6), "For we know that our old self was crucified with [Christ] (WEY ‘nailed to the cross with Him), so that the body of sin might be done away with."

Every trial that repeats itself in our life, is caused by some ‘self’ in our heart. Self must be permanently ‘deleted,’ (not put in the recycle bin to be ‘restored’ later). The ‘recycle bin,’ is the modern ‘plank on the bridge,’ which is the access road back to the old way of self, instead of always forward to the new way of Christ, (by the power of God’s Spirit).

We must understand John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." This can be applied to the death of self in us. It means that if we hold on to the human way of meeting trials and getting our deliverances, we will see no spiritual progress in our life.

John 12:25, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." The world has a plan for everything, but so does God. The world’s self plans are opposite to God’s divine plans. Satan doesn’t oppose professing Christians who hold on to self, (to obtain health, protection, and finances).

Instead of depending on the plans and power of self, we are to depend on plans and power of the living God. If we insist on acting from self, we will eventually meet with failure, but if we are determined to be controlled by God’s Spirit, we will be successful (in our Christian walk).

The person who hates the world’s ways of self...(avenging wrongs, suing for money, etc.), will instead love the divine way of placing every situation in God’s hands. Hating self, means hating the world’s ways of resentment and jealousy. The Living Bible says, "If you love your life down here--you will lose it. If you despise your life down here--you will exchange it for eternal glory." What an exchange that is! The believer trades their ‘self life’ for ‘Eternal Life.’ If we die to self, we live for Christ, and place our faith in His salvation plan.

When a person first gives their life to Christ, there are usually some traces of self left, but there must come a time when self is gone, and Christ is in its place. The Word of God, (as told by His Son), cannot be ignored. (Matthew 7:24), "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

The Apostle James gave the same principle (1:22), "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." To have self removed, we must make a final decision to walk by faith. In the Word of God, we are commanded to walk by faith. If we want to remain on Scriptural grounds, we are to accept God’s Word as all the evidence we need.

When we insist on going our own way (and doing our own thing), we harm ourselves, and we hurt others in the process. And strange as it may seem, we guard our selfish ways as a ‘freedom’ we have to do that.

Another principle of having self removed, is to deal personally with God. It may seem difficult, but it is not. The entire Bible plan is to bring a person back to communicating directly with God.

The prodigal son was not communicating with his father, and finally realized that he should go back, (as we must go back to our heavenly Father). "`Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son,'" (Luke 15:21). That is to be our prayer: ’Heavenly Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called Your child.’

Every command in the Bible, comes from God, but ‘self’ does not want to obey God in anything. Self does not want to know anything about God. If a person is ill, self seeks medical help, and tries to locate a hospital for an operation, before speaking with God for healing. The sooner we deal personally with God, the sooner self will be eliminated.

If we want self removed, we are to make the decision to trust God alone for spiritual wisdom, physical health, divine protection, and financial supplies. We are to believe God, and to destroy every plank on the bridge back to self. If we will make that decision, the elimination of self is the result.

If there are any back-up plans in our heart, self will not be eliminated. Our decision to trust God, must be unto death. When self is deleted, the power of God will work.

We cannot depend on anyone (or anything) but God. If we will place every situation in His hands, (and communicate personally with Him), self will be gone, and the way opened for the deliverance to be received by divine power.

We must not get our eyes, (nor our faith) on anything but the living God. His Word says we are to walk by faith, and to communicate personally with God, (just as we would speak with a close friend).

If we destroy every plank on the ‘bridge of retreat,’ that will effectively destroy any self in our heart. The Pastor once stated that ‘the only real evidence we have that a person went to Heaven, is the fact that they lived their life within the covers of the Bible.’

Every Christian is looking forward to a heavenly home. It is to be their only goal in life. "So then," [says 2 Peter 3:14], "since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

How can we be right with God, if we won’t accept Christ as our personal Savior? How can we be blameless, if we deliberately disobey the Scriptures? No one can go around God’s Word, but must go right through it.

Everyone tries to dodge the Word in some way, but it cannot be done. Everybody must meet God’s Word square in the face sooner or later. Where God has spoken, we must listen and obey.

Jesus gave many ‘words to live by.’ In Matthew 5:38, He said, "You have heard that it was said, `Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Not many follow that advice today, even though it is the Savior speaking! The Son of the living God is telling us how we are to respond to aggression, but not many are listening, and less are obeying.

God in the flesh is giving us words that will bring about the elimination of self, if we will accept them and put them into practice. Do not oppose any devil-controlled person who confronts us, (is the instruction). We can never go wrong, if we are honest with God’s Word. It is so plain and easy, that there is no excuse to have self control our thinking (or responses).

We sometimes ‘resist’ by snapping at someone, or giving them, what they gave us, etc., but that simply reveals self is in control. (39), "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

People often joke about that, but it is profound advice from God’s Son. They are words to live by, which will result in having self eliminated. ‘Self’ does not want to live by any of God’s Words, much less by ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’

If Jesus came down from Heaven and told us not to resist an evil person, we would gladly comply. We might even go looking for someone to hurt our feelings, (so we could prove our loyalty to Christ). But because it was written 2,000 years ago, Satan suggests that you can’t live that way today.

Nevertheless, God’s Word means 100% of what it says, (whether we want to give the Word its proper place or not). May God, (through His Spirit), enable us to give His Word its right place in our life, because our Eternal Life is directly connected.

Vs 40, "And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." That means we are to give twice what they demanded. "Here, take this jacket, too." Responding in that way, puts a ‘spike in the coffin of self.’ Self wants to keep everything it can get its hands on. Self will refuse to give anything (it doesn’t have to give).

Vs 41, "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." And going with someone that second mile, is the mile that counts! The first mile is ‘a given,’ (as we would say), because we are compelled to do it, but the second mile reveals the real attitude of our heart.

Cheerfully going the second mile, gives evidence that self is no longer in control. It is the second mile that counts, because the mile we are forced to go, is not worth much (spiritually). The second mile that we willingly take someone, (in order to obey God’s Word), is the one of great spiritual value. The jacket we give, (after someone has taken our shirt), is the ‘cloak of blessing.’ Whatever we give beyond the request, is what will count in the sight of God.

Vs 42, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." We are to heed that carefully. Today more than ever, (it seems), those dollars never looked so important. We almost always have some extra money with us, and about that time, someone comes along and asks for it.

The one asking may say that they are in a tight place, or have no work, and could we give something? ‘Self’ squirms, thinks, and makes 1,001 excuses why we couldn’t give it, but there is no excuse, because God’s Word, (Matthew 5:42), keeps coming back, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

Self will justify not giving...like, ‘I don’t want to encourage someone to borrow,’ or, ‘they will use the money for a wrong purpose,’ etc. But God’s Word says to give when asked.

If such a situation is met, we will either give the money, or we will disobey Scripture! We will have to lend, (to those who have no intention of returning anything), or we will have to disobey God’s Word...it is one or the other.

And when we give to those who ask, it is to be with a smile, and generously...(Luke 6:38), "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Taking notice of how we give, (and the amount we give), would reveal our attitude toward God and His Word. It would answer the question if we want to obey God, or not, (and the question if self is in control, or not).

In Luke 6:40, Jesus tells us, "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." We will never know more than Jesus, but everyone who obeys the Savior, will be like Him.

God tells us through the prophet, (Isaiah 1:18), "’Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’"

Many selfish ways of self, are glossed over as ‘weaknesses,’ (‘I’m only human,’ we say), but that is just one way we try to explain the serious problem otherwise known as ‘sin.’

God says, "Come now, let us reason together," because He wants us to think deeply about the seriousness of self and sin. We all know that the gospel message of Christ is, forgiveness of sins, and salvation by grace through faith.

Knowing that, many people also say, ‘We sin every day in thought, word, or deed, because no one is perfect. We are all sinners saved by grace, so be patient, God is still working with me.’

There is truth in that, because God is working with everyone who has given their life to Him. No one has arrived at sinless perfection, but when we emphasize human weakness, we create ‘running room’ for sinful habits and ways and attitudes. If the saying, ‘I’m not perfect, just forgiven,’ is taken to its logical conclusion, we have another ‘hiding place’ for the self from which God wants to deliver us.

A writer makes a good point by saying, ‘There is something in every one of us that resists having the standards of conduct raised. We keep the expectations as low as possible, as this allows us to keep many characteristics of the self life without any pressure to change. ‘Humanness,’ ‘weakness,’ and ‘imperfection’ are words used to cover a multitude of sins.’

Of course caution must be used, as no one on their own, could ever achieve sinless perfection. Only by the power of God’s Spirit can our faith in Christ be perfected, which enables perfect obedience to Scripture.

Prior to giving our life to God, we were incapable of responding to God. (Ephesians 2:1-2), "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."

It is obvious from Scripture that God expects a positive response from us. The Bible is full of commands, instructions, and divine expectations that are waiting for a follow-up on our part. And God’s Word clearly says we will be held accountable, when we do not follow His instructions.

God calls us to follow His Son, because following is possible. The Holy Spirit is active in the Word. Hearing the Word makes it possible to act upon it...(Hebrews 4:12-13), "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

God gives us His Spirit, so we can obey His Word. And God has given His Word to the world, because He knows that, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ," (Romans 10:17).

Hebrews 5:9 reminds us, "[Christ] became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

Knowing God’s Word gives us light to live the Christian life, (as sunlight activates the germination of a seed). "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God," (1 Cor. 1:18).

The Holy Spirit comes into our heart to reveal the truth about sin, righteousness, and God’s authority. He then gives the ability to respond to the Word. (John 16:8), "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."

This knowing and doing God’s will, (through the power of the Spirit), is the door to the new life in Christ. The option to turn from self-centeredness, to Christ-centeredness, is now open. Every individual is responsible to submit to God’s Spirit-inspired truth. And everyone will be held accountable for what they choose to do.

To act from self, is to sin, but there is hope, because God does not want, "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance," (2 Peter 3:9). And we can know the right way, because God, "wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth," (1 Timothy 2:4).

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