So long self

So long self…

We’ve all heard the popular song by Mercy Me entitled, “So long self” and fighting against our sin nature is something we will wrestle with the remainder of our lives, BUT, we must conquer it!

The Bible says in II. Timothy 3:1, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves…” What Paul was telling Timothy was basically this, “You can book it! In the last days, people are going to be selfish! They are only going to be worried about “me and mine”. Well, it doesn’t take a genius to understand that we live in a very self-centered selfish society. There are even popular messages today that are so revolved around “self”; self-esteem, self-worth, self-promotion” and it ministers to our flesh and not our spirit man who craves the things of God. We are to be led by not what is popular, not what is “hip”, not what is “in”, not what “feels right” necessarily, but to be lead by the truths found in the word. We are to submit to and obey that which revolves around that! Now I’m not saying this is easy because as long as we are in this body we will wrestle with “self.”

If we are born-again we are called to “die to self.” John the Baptist said “I must become less and he must become greater.” Either we are becoming more “selfish” or we are becoming more like Christ. Genesis 4:7 says, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” We are to master sin! We are to take control and live above our sinful nature! Sin can’t get in the door unless we open it.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

When we are “dying daily” we no longer live for ourselves but begin living for the one who is worthy to be praised; Jesus Christ!

The Bible says in Luke 9:23-26, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

One of the most difficult things to do is to “give up our lives”. Why? Because we want to hang on to it. OUR dreams. OUR plans. OUR desires! It revolves around what WE want instead of what God wants. It involves building HIS kingdom instead of building OUR kingdom. Satan himself was a self-driven, selfish being.

Notice in Isaiah 14:12-15 it says (speaking of Lucifer), “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in YOUR heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”


Was it just me or did you notice how many “I’s” were in the above passage? You see Satan or Lucifer went all wrong when he took the focus off of God and directed it towards himself! Jesus himself alone is to be praised!

It is only when we come to the end of ourselves that we will truly live the life God intended for us to live! So long self!