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Does the Bible ever teach loving/forgiving oneself?
An epidemic is encroaching into pulpits and study groups worldwide at the moment. It's the concept that you have to love and esteem yourself before it is possible to love God or your neighbour. Is this Biblical? Let's review what the Scriptures reveal...
Jesus taught clearly what was the greatest commandment in Matthew 22v37-40 and that the second one was like it.
Jesus said to him, " ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'[d] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'[e] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
From the plain reading of this text we are clearly instructed firstly to Love God in every way and then secondly to love our neighbour as ourself. So how do we have to love ourselves before we can love God or our neighbour? Even if the second commandment was encouraging us to love ourselves and our neighbour (which is partially correct) the first commandment is to love God first and foremost!!! Why do we love God? Because He first loved us! (1 John 4v19)
Regarding the second greatest commandment 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself' other verses in Scripture confirm the meaning therefore avoiding confusion. What does Philippians 2 v3-4 say about loving the needs of others and ourselves?...
'Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.'
In other words it is reasonably assumed that we take good care of ourselves! Think about it. When did we last forget to feed ourselves, buy stuff for ourselves and even purchase stuff for ourselves that we don't even need, when others need it more than we do. I plead guilty on all accounts!
Furthermore Ephesians 5v29 says... 'For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church'
If we want to have joy (not Utopian bliss and happiness, get the bucket please!!) we need to love Jesus first, others and then ourselves!
Infact Jesus taught that if we are to follow Him, then we must deny ourselves! Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16V24) This has nothing to do with pursuing a monastic, self-punishing, works for salvation based lifestyle. God forbid and that certainly isn't Biblical. We do though need to deny our natural Godless tendency and put Him first, which is something every believer struggles with and so did the apostle Paul when he did the things he didn't want to do and vice versa!
The problem raises its ugly head when sin is wrongly diagnosed as 'sickness which is not our fault and can be treated' and individuals are encouraged to love themselves and increase their self esteem etc, when what they really need is to esteem God highly. Moreover if we truly comprehend just a momentary glimpse of the extent to which God loves us, we will be grateful that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and loved by our maker and the need for self esteem will go out the window.
I've heard people object that God loves a person but they have to forgive themself also. FORGIVING ONESELF IS NEVER MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE. Sometimes we feel remorse and guilt for what we have done! Thank God that He gave us a conscience! Having said that when God has forgiven us who are we to insist that we still need to forgive ourselves?
FORGIVENESS IS NOT SIMPLY A FEELING AND NEITHER IS IT OPTIONAL. If we choose to forgive others because we 'feel okay' it may take time to forgive some and we may never forgive others. In short, it might hurt, (of course it will, lets be realistic not super spiritual or turn off our emotions like a tap) but God requires that we forgive each other 14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.(Matthew 6v14-15)
On a final note, where did the idea of loving oneself and forgiving oneself creep into the church system and sadly today even amongst Evangelicals! Mainly from concepts stemming from psychotherapy, from the likes of Freud, Jung, Maslow, Rogers et al, which are a mixture of humanistic, atheistic, occultic concepts. The idea is that doctors deal with physical problems, churches sort the Spiritual side and psychotherapists treat the mind. Why seek ungodly counsel when we have everything we need in Scripture and we have the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Wonderful Counsellor (9v6) The Holy Spirit who requires counsel from no-one (Isa 40v13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him?') and fellow believers for mutual support and encouragement in the LORD?
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses[e] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5v13-18)
Amen! |
