Return to Main Page Kingdom of Right Relationships Part 5b: Loving Self Correctly Matthew 22:34-40; 2 Timothy 3:2-4; Introduction: A. Living in Four Relationships B. The Most Important Relationship C. The Commandment - Matthew 22:37-38 D. Agape Love – Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22-23 Love which desires only the highest good for its object. I. Loving God A. Loving God the Father - The Father’s Highest Good - John 17:1-5 B. Loving God the Son - The Son’s Highest Good – Philippians 2:9-11 1. Exalt His name above every name. 2. Bow your knee to Him and worship Him 3. Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. C. Loving God the Holy Spirit - The Spirit’s Highest Good – Philippians 2:13 1. The highest good we can do for the Holy Spirit is to allow Him to do His work in our lives! a) Do Not Resist the Spirit – Acts 6:10; 7:51 b) Do Not Quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) c) Do Not Grieve the Spirit - Ephesians 4:30 d) Be Filled with the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 5:18; John 12:3 II. Loving Self A. Your Highest Good – Ephesians 3:20-21 1. Pleasing self or pleasing God? a) Mark 8:34-35 B. Loving Self Is Not Commanded 1. Matthew 22:36-40 a) Jesus gives two great commandments: b) There is no third command to love yourself. 2. No one hates himself; rather, he loves, cherishes, and nourishes himself a) Ephesians 5:29 3. Man’s problem is that he pays too much attention to self, not too little a) Philippians 2:21 C. The Issue of Self-Esteem 1. Definitions from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary a) Self-Esteem: Undo PRIDE in oneself b) Pride: Over-high opinion of oneself; conceit c) Humility: Absence of PRIDE or self-assertion 2. "High" Self-Esteem - Self-aggrandizement (pride) 3. "Low" Self-Esteem - Self-degradation (false humility) 4. "No" Self-Esteem - No self-concern (true humility) 1 Peter 5:5 Ephesians 2:8-10 2 Corinthians 9:8 D. Seeing Ourselves Correctly 1. As God Sees Us 2. Who does God say I am? 3. Loving ourselves correctly means seeing ourselves as God sees us! III. Loving Self Incorrectly - 2 Timothy 3:2-4 A. Lovers of Self 1. Lovers of self = philautos, phileō (to have great affection for) and the pronoun autos (self). 2. Lovers of money 3. Boastful 4. Arrogant 5. Revilers = blasphēmos 6. Disobedient to parents 7. Ungrateful 8. Romans 1:18, 21 9. Unholy 10.Unloving = astorgos 11.Irreconcilable 12.Malicious gossip = diabolos 13.Without self-control 14.Brutal 15.Haters of good 16.Treacherous 17.Reckless 18.Conceited 19.Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God = philēdonos, philos (Loving) and hēdonē (pleasure) IV. How to Love Self Correctly A. What You Need to Know 1. There is a godly love for self that is natural and pleasing to God. 2. The godly love of self comes from knowing three things. a) You are actually the creation of God: the highest creation possible. b) You are actually the object of God’s love: the most supreme love possible. c) You are actually the trustee of God’s gifts: the greatest gifts possible. 3. God’s plan focuses on a denial of self in order to please Him and be a blessing to others. a) John 13:3-4 b) It esteems others better than self. (Phil. 2:3). c) It walks humbly before others. (Phil. 2:3-7) B. What You Need to Do 1. Take the focus off yourself in daily situations and relationships (Matthew 22:37-39). 2. Delight yourself in the Lord, commit your ways to Him, and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:1-9). 3. Know that you are not your own since you have been bought with the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 6:19-20; I Peter 1:17-19) 4. Examine (judge) yourself continually in a biblical manner (Matthew 7:5; I Corinthians 11:26-32)

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