We live in the culture of the “self.”  Both Christian and secular self-help books flood our bookstores. A Google search on the word turned up 476 million sites.

Probably more than any other culture in the world’s history, the American culture and care of the self flourishes, with more diets, gyms, entertainment, and concern about defining one’s own identity.

For selves that are sick, the United States offers half the world’s clinical psychologists, up from 12,000 in 1968 to 42,000 in 1990, when no other nation at that time had more than 400.[1] That’s over 100 times more psychologists in the U.S. than in any other nation in the world!

Our culture’s fixation on the self is what Scripture calls pride. Theologian Cornelius Plantinga says that pride “is a blend of self-absorption—that is, narcissism—with an overestimate of one’s abilities or worth—that is conceit. So a proud person thinks a lot about himself and also thinks a lot of himself.”^[2]

Of course, psychologists tell us that our biggest problem is that we think too little, not too much, of ourselves; but sociological studies indicate otherwise.

For example, 

• Of almost one million American high school students who were studied, 70 percent rated themselves “above average” in leadership ability, and

• Only 2 percent thought themselves to be below average;

• In their ability to get along with others, none rated themselves below average;

• 60 percent rated themselves in the top 10 percent, and

• 25 percent rated themselves in the top 1 percent!

• In another survey, 94 percent of a college’s faculty thought that they were better than their average colleague, so when pay increases based on merit were announced, there were many who felt that injustice had been done! . . .

• Other experiments show that when people admire a particular trait, they are quite likely to think that they have it in some abundance.^[3]

We do not think little of ourselves. We think much about ourselves and much of ourselves.

The Church of the Self

Unfortunately, the culture has so infected the church that many evangelicals have lost God as their center. A self-esteem spin on the gospel pervades us, and as David Wells insightfully writes,

Much of the Church today, especially that part of it which is evangelical, is in captivity to idolatry of the self. This is a form of corruption far more profound than the lists of infractions that typically pop into our minds when we hear the word sin. We are trying to hold at bay the gnats of small sins while swallowing the camel of self.^[4]

Self-Denial and Biblical Spirituality

Evangelical self-centeredness stands in stark contrast to historical Christianity and scriptural teaching. The Christian spirituality of bygone days understood and took seriously Jesus’ words, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34, emphasis added).

John Calvin, for example, emphasized self-denial as the first and primary step in following Christ. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion chapter called “The Sum of the Christian Life: The Denial of Ourselves,”[5] Calvin says:

Let this therefore be the first step, that a man depart from himself in order that he may apply the whole force of his ability in the service of the Lord.

For when Scripture bids us leave off self-concern, it not only erases from our minds the yearning to possess, the desire for power, and the favor of men, but it also uproots ambition and all craving for human glory and other more secret plagues.

Wherever denial of ourselves does not reign, there either the foulest vices rage without shame, or if there is any semblance of virtue, it is vitiated by depraved lusting after glory.

Calvin explores the nature of self-denial by examining passages like Romans 12:1-2 and Titus 2:11-14. He goes on to show that self-denial is essential if we are to have a right attitude toward others, love our neighbors, be devoted fully to God’s will, trust only God’s blessing, and bear adversity in a God-honoring way. “He alone has duly denied himself who has so totally resigned himself to the Lord that he permits every part of his life to be governed by God’s will.”[6]

Self-Love: The Foundation of Hypocritical Religion

Jonathan Edwards, whose penetrating analysis of spiritual experience in Religious Affections is still benefiting readers today, believed that self-centeredness was one of the primary distinctions between hypocrites and true saints. Whereas true saints have affections for God that are founded in “the transcendently excellent and amiable nature of divine things,”[7] the affections of hypocrites are essentially rooted in self.

And this is indeed the very main difference between the joy of the hypocrite, and the joy of the true saint. The former rejoices in himself; self is the first foundation of his joy: the latter rejoices in God. The hypocrite has his mind pleased and delighted, in the first place, with his own privilege, and the happiness which he supposes he has attained, or shall attain. True saints have their minds, in the first place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with the sweet ideas of the glorious and amiable nature of the things of God.

And this is the spring of all their delights, and the cream of all their pleasures; ’tis the joy of their joy. This sweet and ravishing entertainment they have in view of the beautiful and delightful nature of divine things, is the foundation of the joy that they have afterwards. . . . But the dependence of the affections of hypocrites is in a contrary order: they first rejoice, and are elevated with it, that they are made so much of by God; and then on that ground, he seems in a sort, lovely to them.[8]

Something Better Than Self

The words of Calvin and Edwards—not to mention Jesus!—are devastating to much of contemporary spiritual experience. The church today seems as fixated on the self as the culture is. David Wells is right: “We are trying to hold at bay the gnats of small sins while swallowing the camel of self.”

So, what is the solution?

The only solution is to lift our gaze to Someone better than self. We need a renewed vision of God in His transcendent majesty and holiness, revealed to us in the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ the ultimate self-less One, who died and rose for us. We need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit that will open our eyes to a beauty greater than our own.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:7-11).

May Paul’s self-renouncing passion for God revealed in Christ inspire the same in us!

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[8] Ibid., 249–50.