Lately
it has become very clear why selfishness makes so much sense. As we wonder why
people are able to do some of the things they do, and how they can put their
needs above the needs of others, and why we are sometimes far too comfortable
with our own feelings of self-interest, there is an underlying (or over-riding)
reason that makes complete sense.
Selfishness
is the expression of the sark, or the flesh. Since the sark is a separate part
of our selves that lives independent from God and is only able to think of
itself, whenever we are operating in our sarks, being selfish makes perfect
sense to our sarks. When we ask our sark how it feels about being totally
self-absorbed, we discover that it feels rather self-satisfied. To the sark,
being as selfish as it is feels just right.
On
the other hand, when God raises people out of the dead condition of their sin,[1] where the sark has had free reign to steal, kill, and destroy,[2] their “new self” in
Christ Jesus cannot make sense of the selfishness of the past. It doesn’t feel
right. In fact, it simply doesn’t “fit”.[3]
What
we need to appreciate is that selfishness will always feel right to the sark,
so when we set our minds on the sark, the selfish things we do seem like the
right thing to do. At the time.
On
the other hand, when we set our minds on the Spirit,[4] we are entering into the realm of the mind of Christ,[5] and so selfishness never feels right. There is never room for “selfish ambition or conceit,”[6]because those things belong to the sark. The new heart,[7] seeking the mind of the Spirit, who is in direct and constant
fellowship with the Father and the Son, never desires something that is
self-interest, selfish ambition, self-protection, or anything else that is
sarky.
What
made sense to me this morning is that there is an inevitable progression that
happens in our lives depending on where we set our minds. Both the sark and the
Spirit bear fruit. Both bear the fruit of what they are. Where we set our minds
determine what we think, what we think determines what we do, and what we do
determines how we look to God (in the, a-tree-is-known-by-its-fruit[8] kind of way).
In
the negative, there is a threefold progression that begins with setting our
minds on the sark. The sark then stirs up thoughts of grumbling and disputing
about how poorly we have things. This sarky feeling sorry for ourselves, mixed
with the sarky selfish ambition that wants its own way, turns into sinful
actions and behaviors that seem fully justified since it makes perfect sense to
the sark for us to do something utterly and abhorrently self-serving.
So,
when Paul adds to the beautiful exhortations of Philippians 2, “do all things without grumbling or
disputing” (vs 14), and then follows it up with, “that you may be blameless and innocent,” he is showing the fruit
that comes from the Spirit filled church. The church that sets its mind on the
Spirit, doing the things that promote serving one another in love, will grow up
in the “blameless and innocent”
qualities of Christlikeness “from one
degree of glory to another.”[9]
On
the other hand, if we allow the church to do things from “selfish ambition and conceit,”[10]with our minds set on the sark, we bear the fruit of the sark. James
describes this very pointedly,
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not
the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For
where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every
vile practice.[11]
James
not only tells us where “bitter jealousy
ad selfish ambition” come from, but also what they produce. If we set our
minds on the things that are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, we will see the
actions and behaviors that produce “disorder
and every vile practice.” Whatever we do with our minds, leads to whatever
our minds decide to do.
The
negative side of the conclusion is that we do not try to be “blameless and innocent,” by trying to
get the sark to do the right thing. The sark will always think it makes sense
to do things that are selfish ambition and conceit, and will always justify the
disorder and vile practices that come from its choices.
The
positive side of the conclusion is that we set our minds on the Spirit, and his
work in us will bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.[12] There will be no room for grumbling and disputing (the sark may
still be doing that somewhere in the background, but we don’t need to listen to
it), and so there will be no room for the fruit that comes from such
selfishness.
It
is a wonder that God would ever see his children as “blameless and innocent” at all. The fact that he is working in us
to have the will for Spirit-filled living, and to work the Spirit-led things
that leave no room for grumbling or disputing, gives us all we need to work out
this aspect of our salvation with fear and trembling.[13]
I
have just started to consider the connection between all the grumbling and
complaining the Israelites did while under the law, and the lack of grumbling
and disputing that is part of church life that is in the Spirit. The sark could
not keep the law, and saw everything through selfish eyes. The new self we have
in Christ Jesus is not only able to be righteous in that “from one degree of glory to another,”[14]kind of way, but has God working in us to make it happen.
All
we need to do is join the Triune God in their work. And, since they are not
grumbling or disputing about anything they are doing, we would do well to see
what our new heart can learn from doing things their way.
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
Ephesians 2:1-10
[2]
As Jesus describes of the “thief” in John 10:10
[3]
Ephesians 4:17-24 explains this contrast in great detail.
[4]
Romans 8:5-6
[5]
I Corinthians 2:16
[6]
Philippians 2:3
[7]
Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26
[8]
Luke 6:43-44
[9]
II Corinthians 3:18
[10]
Ephesians 2:3
[11]
James 3:14-16
[12]
Galatians 5:22-26
[13]
Peter explains this in a great progression in II Peter 1:3-11
[14]
II Corinthians 3:18
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