Rants
II Tim 3:1-4 – Must I Love Myself?
You are bombarded everyday with the call to think about yourself…look out for number one. They say: It is important that you love yourself…feel good about yourself…that if you don’t love yourself, no one else will. They say: do your own thing…you don’t have to answer to anyone. And very often you will hear…you’re somebody…you’re somebody special.

The truth is, however, this is quite a modern phenomenon. It was only in the late 60’s, early 70’s that these ideas became very prevalent in our society. About the mid-seventies these ideas began to dominate the church. And more and more people started blaming their sins upon their lack of self-love. They started to say: It is because I don’t love myself that I drink too much. It is because I don’t love myself that I murder. It is because I don’t love myself that I don’t want to work…etc.

(A very famous preacher continues to promote these same ideas. His name is Schuller. He removed the phrase “that saved a wretch like me” from Amazing Grace.) (He says: The deepest need of humankind is for self-esteem. Further, he says: For the church to address the unchurched with a theo-centric attitude is to invite failure in mission…. Why? Schuller says: “the core of sin is the lack of self-esteem.”

So this view is dominating and we need to find the Biblical answers to the following questions: Should I love myself? What about those passages that suggest I must love myself? If not self-love, then what must I do?
Loving yourself is wrong –This is the answer to the first question
The Scripture clearly teaches that self –love is wrong.
In the passage we read from II Timothy, we read that self-love is part of a perilous time…today times.
The last days began with the time of the Apostles, according to Peter in Acts 2…Gen 49, etc.
Jesus lived in these last days too. Hebrews 1:2.
Self love is the foundations for many other sins: For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of
godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
There is another example in the Gospels for us: There was a rich man who loved his wealth – and
therefore he loved himself - more than he loved Christ…and was lost.
Mark 10:17-22 - Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked
Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "One thing you
lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and
come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had
great possessions.
A Third example is Nebuchadnezzar had to confess that love and promotion of self was a great sin also.
Daniel 4:30,37 - The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by
my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" (Later) Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and
honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride
He is able to put down.
Why is self-love wrong?
Self-love is wrong because your goal in self-love is to please yourself and not God.
Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Sinners, by definition, do what they want and follow their own opinion, not God’s laws.
The man who loves himself views his opinion and will as supreme.
Self-lovers don’t see God as Lord over all. The goal is not to please him. Though is should be.
I Corinthian 10:31 - Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
To love yourself is to do whatever you want, to think whatever you want, and say whatever you
want. This willfulness conflicts with the declaration of Scripture.
What are the results of self-love?
God and men are hurt.
Self love is like the hedgehog that wraps himself into a cozy ball to protect himself…but…
has sharp signs to those who are outside.
And you rob God of the glory due to him.
You hurt yourself, for you are law unto yourself.
II Tim 3:8-9 - Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt
minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to
all, as theirs also was.
Walter Chantry: Whoever has an over-inflated ego will find he can’t pass through the Door.
Further, if you say you must love yourself, it implies that you are worthy because you say so.
Isaac Watts understood well the nature of man and he wrote:
Alas! And did my Saviour Bleed…Would he devote a sacred head for such a Worm as I.
A Biblical Analysis of the choice texts
There are some who argue that the Bible teaches you to love yourself?
Love your neighbor as you love your self…
Matthew 22:39 - And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
We must first note that in verses 37-39 there are only two commands. Love God. Love your neighbor.
There is no implied command to love yourself.
Language: Further, agape love means self-sacrifice in the service of others.
It cannot be self-directed.
But don’t take this as a call to hate your body. There is no room for self-masochism.
Grammar: Why did Jesus then say: “as you love yourself”?
Jesus was teaching self-love as a fact, but it is not a virtue commended.
Theological: Our passage teaches that self-love is sin…along with a long list of others. II Tim 3:1-4.

No man ever hates himself…
The Apostle Paul spoke these words to the Ephesians…
Ephesians 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,
Again, the phrase (no one ever hates himself) is used, it is pointing out the fact, and is not giving a
command to love yourself.
In fact, this was a intended to teach you to love your wife…not yourself…
A Biblical Call to Replace Self Love – Put off- Put on
Illustrate: Someone bought a boat and called it: Insteadov…doing this instead of other things.
Instead of saying: O Great…one man said…O Great…in thy faithfulness…
Love God – this is the basis for obeying the first 4 laws.
The example we have is John 3:16 – of how God loved us so he gave…
There was a Unitarian church ad that said: Come as you are, we don’t want you to change.
But God does demand that you change and confirm to the image of Christ…who loved others.
Matthew 16:24 - 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.
To love Christ is do what he wants, think what he thinks, and say what he wants.
Jesus said that if you love me you would keep my commands. There is no room for “self” here.
Psalm 1 – How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel…but his delight is in the law
Love your neighbor – this is the basis for obeying the last 6 laws.
An interesting phenomenon is taking place in schools…with more emphasis on personal sports.
Philippians 2:3 - Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself.
The good Samaritan gives us a good example of how one must deny himself to help others.
His own convenience would have required that he did what would benefit himself.
Yet in the modern context he would say: What’s in it for me? How do I benefit from this.
Where is self in all of this?
You as a Christian must get out from circles of people who promote self-love and self-worship.
Avoid books and television that do these things too.
Conclusion:
It is not easy to speak against self-love. To speak against it in today’s society is like attacking grandma, pancakes, and maple syrup. But is must be done. The Bible is abundantly clear of the great evils of self-love. Self-love makes you unteachable. So Paul says to avoid these people. V5.

What the Bible teaches as a replacement for self love is self-denial. Self-denial is not Christianized masochism. Self-denial is simply a yielding to the God and his holiness. Self-denial, then, is necessary for discipleship. This is what makes you teachable.

Does self-denial then make you without value? No, you are valuable in Christ’s sight, but it is because of Christ. Without Christ you would only be fit for the dung heap.

Now what must you do? How do you deny yourself and love God and your neighbor? You must begin by working for his glory and honor. You are valuable, but you are not your own. You are not free to say, think, or do what you want. BUT: Only when you rest in submission to Christ will you know the true value of self-denial.