Should You Love Yourself?

Text: Matthew 22:34-40.

Intro: There is no doubt, that the society in which we live is almost entirely self focused, self driven, and full of self-worship. With the birth of the cellphone, most of my generation and younger have been labelled as the selfie generation. a generation entirely focused upon taking pictures of themselves, emphasizing themselves, exalting themselves, in fact, worshiping themselves. We of course could say that they love themselves too much. Christians see this, and often what we do, as with most things, because its human nature, is pendulum swing to the other side of self abasement, self hatred, and absolute apathy when it comes to ourselves.

The question i have for you today, is is that Biblical? Should we hate ourselves? should we love ourselves? and further, how does our view of ourselves impact our ability to obey the commands of God?

(Context of Matthew 22:34-40)

“As yourself,” Vs 39.

by this statement it is assumed, that you must have some love for yourself

Too much

Narcissism - “excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.”

It is a self love which pits the value and worth of all others against itself, and chooses the self over others. it is a self love that really is focused upon self worship. in our culture, whether we are talking about narcisim, abortion, sex before marriage, and many other things, self worship is at the center of it all, declaring before God, “God, i am your Mangum Opus, the pinicale of your creation. I know you created me, but you should worship me too.” Extreme self love is the root of satanism. and i mean satanism today, that openly admits its all about the pleasure in ones life, all about the self, not about worshipping satan.

Satan is fine with this. if fact he invented this. The Tempation He gave Eve in the Garden was all self driven, and she knew it

Gen. 3:5-6.

too little

What does this birth?

The very same self-abasement and disdain as the early monks

Col. 2:23.

ἀφειδία - unsparing treatment, severe self control, harsh control over.

There is a fine line, between “i am a dirty rotten sinner in need of God’s saving grace.” and “I am absolutely worthless. i cannot do anything meaningful for God or neighbor and cannot be saved. why try?”

Remain balanced

Loving your neighbor, Vs 39

If you do not love yourself, how can you love your neighbor

if you look at yourself in the mirror, and declare supreme self hatred to yourself, you have not respect for yourself, you do not care what happens to yourself, that will, inevitably transfer over into how you treat your neighbor.

If you love yourself more than your neighbor, what happens?

extreme self love in Christianity naturally gives birth to one of the highest rebellions against God, His commands, and His expectations. it is legalism. a form of piety and self-righteousness, born out of too much self love that thinks you can make and keep yourself righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus pointed this out

Luke 18:9.

Extreme self-love can only promote a religious worldview that looks down on other followers for not being as righteous as they are

remain balanced

Loving God, 37

If you love yourself too much, how will you serve God?

God serves me

he is only here for my convenience. after all, why would he create something so good as me if he wasn't meant to serve me.

Ezekiel 28:14-17. (King of Tyre.)

I am God

Is. 14:12-15. (Babylon)

If you don’t love yourself, how will you serve God?

Remember how much value you have

made in the image of God

We love because He first loved us, 1 John 4:19.

youll think you are unforgiveable

Who are you to think God cant love me or forgive me? further, who are you not to forgive yourself when God has declared, you are forgiven? I cant forgive myself? do you require a greater atonement than what has been provided by Jesus? do you require greater levels or righteousness than the righteousness of Jesus?

Remain balanced

Well ordered self-love, whereby man desires a fitting good for himself, is right and natural; but it is inordinate self-love, leading to contempt of God, that Augustine reckons to be the cause of sin.

Thomas Aquinas