Recently, I have been doing some thinking about sin and the way the enemy works to divide us, destroy us, steal our joy and ultimately keep us from God. The more I have studied the more clear it has become that the vehicle he uses for much of this is our own selfishness. This morning I guess I want to look at the theme of selfishness, and what scripture says. Here are several verses related to this topic:
Psalm 119:36 NIV
"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."
2 Corinthians 12:20 NIV
"For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
Galatians 5:19-21 NIV
[19] "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
[3] "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
James 3:14-16 NIV
[14] "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
The Greek word translated selfish ambition is Eritheia:
Definition
1) electioneering or intriguing for office
a) apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one's self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts
b) partisanship, fractiousness
Note: This word is found before NT times only in Aristotle where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means. (A&G)Paul exhorts to be one in the mind of Christ not putting self forward, or being selfish
This is an interesting group of scriptures, for all of them associate selfishness with some serious sins, and even calling its source demonic. In the Psalms, it is used as the polar opposite of obedience to God's statutes. Paul groups it with all sorts of ugliness. The point is that this is not of God, nor Godly. It is based on our efforts to raise ourselves up, at the expense of others or of obedience.
When I go back to the original sin, it is apparent that this selfish focus, trying to raise oneself up to attain something that we don't have at the expense of others or of obedience was the very motivation of Eve. Here is the story from Genesis 3:1-6 NIV:
[1] "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'? ”
[2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' ”
[4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
[6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Looking at the actual temptation, the first thing the serpent asks is if it was true that she couldn't eat from any tree. This question is completely wrong for God had told Adam he could eat from any tree except the one, but what it does is create a selfish desire. It gets the woman thinking about what she wants. Secondly the serpent tells her that which she can't have is good for her, and will lift her up in status telling her "you will be like God".
I find it interesting that Eve ate first and then gave it to Adam. I wonder if there wasa a desire to be better than Adam? What would have happened if when she ate the apple, she suddenly gained some power or authority, higher than Adam? Would she have still given him the fruit to eat?
She was enticed by the fact the fruit was "good for food, and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom." That sounds like rationalization to me, the convincing of oneself that something is worth doing, even when we have been told not to do it. She lost sight of the command of God, because her vision was clouded by her own selfish ambition. She wanted to gain something, wanted to experience something, and felt hunger for that which she didn't have. She had all the fruit of all the other trees in the garden available to her , but she wanted more. She allowed her desire for her own self to override God's will for her.
When I think about most of the sin I struggle with, I struggle with much the same mentality. I lose sight of who I am, and what God has already given me. I allow my grasp of my identity (son of God) to be clouded over and I lose focus and instead I listen to the siren song of the forbidden fruit. This is specifically true of those sins I willfully commit. I will say that there are many sins that I am not even aware I am committing, for sin can be described as missing the perfect will of God, and I am sure that most days I am not fully aware of God's perfect will for me, in many areas of my life. I am more aware today than I as 20 years ago, and I hope that 20 year from now I will be more sensitive and aware of God's will than I am now.
In all of this, my desire is to stop focusing on myself and instead focus on God and those around me. My prayer is that I might live as Paul encourages the Philippians 2:1-5 NIV:
[1] "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [2] then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [3] Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
[5] "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"
Amen Lord!
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