May 29, 2007
There is little doubt after any trip to a local bookstore that our culture is into "self" - I was working through my quote database (yes, I am a nerd) today and ran across this quote from AW Tozer:
To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins--egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion--are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice....
AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God, 43-44.
In what ways have do you see "self" promoted at the expense of the gospel? In what does western Christianity work off of popularity? When is popular, or well known-ness, not a vice? Any prophets of the virtue "self-centeredness" out there who want to weigh in?
Comments
How do you think people actually promote "self" under the guise of Christ? Do we include those that preach about our position in Christ? I.e. the fact that we are saints, the redeemed, a royal priesthood, children, etc. in Christ? Is that promoting self?
Posted by: Jared Olinger | May 30, 2007 12:02 PM
Jared,
I think what you are getting at deals with our mystical union with Christ. That we are found "in him" - Colossians spends some good time there. That is good because the focus is on Christ in us and us in Him - not exalting "ME"
Where I see this most is that every teaching, every message, is about us, what we can get from God...or when a preacher focuses on himself rather than the grace of God in Christ.
Posted by: Reid Monaghan | May 30, 2007 03:06 PM