The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness

Intro

What is Keller saying?

What did you learn?

Thoughts/open for discussion?

Keller’s introduction to “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness” address the post modern theory that many of our issues in society today “drugs, violence, crime, etc. come from a place of low self esteem and this low self esteem drives people to act in a way to numb or mask their feelings of inadequacy.

This contradicts the previously held view that it was an issue of pride that caused these problems

Keller uses 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7 as a way of providing a biblical worldview for us when we think of the issue of pride.

Page 12 Keller sums up the issue with both views to pride by saying on page 12…

Read page 12

Keller seems to be calling us to find the middle ground here

We can see the dangers of never calling out sin and only “encouraging” one another leads to gnosticsm and people simply abusing grace for their own sinful pleasures.

At the same time we see the dangers of a works driven community that is so focused on the outward appearance that inwardly we are white washed tombs.

Keller’s charge for us is that we have a healthy view of our own ego, and understanding of the transformed “SENCE” of self, and he gives us a path to get to that transformed sense of self

The Natural Condition of the Human Ego

In Chapter one Keller uses the example of an overinflated or bloated organ as a picture of our ego

This greek work physioo was interesting to me translated as distended beyond its proper size.

And organ that is overinflated such as the condition of the human ego is…

Empty

The human ego is empty and constantly looking to fill itself with everything besides Christ

Painful

The human ego is constantly in pain because there is something incredibly wrong with our ego when it is constantly focused on making us look good

Busy

The human ego is constantly busy trying to reaffirm and compare itself to other egos

maybe that’s comparing the size of one ministry to the other, or maybe that comparing how you look to someone else

Fragile

Finally the human ego is fragile because it is built on nothing more than human will and emotion based on what my sinful desires thinks are right in my eyes

“Because our egos are built on nothing more than our own sinful desires it’s not a question of if our egos will be deflated, but when” - Spencer Roth 12:30 pm student office

Therefore Keller says on page 22 that our egos will never be satisfied because at their root they are built on shifting sand and not on the firm foundation of a Christ.