Self Discovery
Luke 18:9 – 14 (NKJV) “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others CChrist discussed this practice
Matthew 7:1 – 5 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Christ discussed this practice David was guilty of this
2 Samuel 12:1 – 3 (NKJV) “Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: ‘There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.”
2 Samuel 12:4 – 7 (NKJV) “And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.’ So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘ As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’…”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Christ discussed this practice David was guilty of this James advices us to look at ourselves
James 1:22 – 25 (NKJV) “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Measuring ourselves by others
Measuring ourselves by others Paul says this is not wise
2 Corinthians 10:12 (NKJV) “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Measuring ourselves by others Paul says this is not wise Paul says to examine ourselves
Galatians 6:4 (NKJV) “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”
1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV) “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Measuring ourselves by others Assuming virtues not our own
Assuming virtues not our own Paul tells us to examine our faith
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV) “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Assuming virtues not our own Paul tells us to examine our faith James tells us how to prove our faith
James 2:18 (NKJV) “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Measuring ourselves by others Assuming virtues not our own Disguising sin
Disguising sin Condemned by Isaiah
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Disguising sin Condemned by Isaiah Sin is lawlessness
1 John 3:4 (NKJV) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Disguising sin Condemned by Isaiah Sin is lawlessness All sin carries the same punishment
James 2:10 (NKJV) “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
Isaiah 59:1 – 3 (NKJV) “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity.
Romans 6:23 (NKJV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We fail to discover ourselves by: Seeing the faults of others Measuring ourselves by others Assuming virtues not our own Disguising sin If everybody was just like me how strong of a Christian would they be, and how strong of a church would this church be?