How Grace Transforms our Egos
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The Natural Human of Ego
The Natural Human of Ego
21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,
21 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours—22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—everything is yours,
1 Cor 3:
1 Corinthians 3:21-22
Paul mentions Himself, Apollos, and Cephas because there were people in the Corinthian church that were competing for significance and authority. They were essentially seeking affirmation from others by name-dropping who had discipled them. They were trying to prove themselves to everyone else around them. rove that they were significant, prove that they had worth and value. It was if they were saying, “See, look at my spiritual resume! Look at who mentored me! Look at who led me to faith! Look at how impressive I am!”
Paul is delving into the topic of self-worth. He is dealing with people in a church who are placing their self-worth in all the wrong places.
If you look at Paul tells us about the problem with how we typically try to prove our self worth.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another.
Paul says that he wants the Corinthians to understand that he is using Apollos and himself to show them the truth about where their significance is meant to be found. He says that he doesnt want them to be “arrogant.”
He says that when we find our worth in what we do or have done, whether it be where we went to school, or who discipled us, or what fraternity or sorority we are in, or what books we have read, or what theological bent we have…we become “puffed up.”
To be “arrogant” according to the Oxford dictionary means, “to have an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.”
having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.
But Pauls use of the word here is even more interesting. The literal translation of this word is “puffed up.” So Paul is literally saying that the Corinthians egos—their identities—were filled with air.
Tim Keller gives 4 excellent observations about puffed up egos from this passage—He says:
Over Inflated Egos are Empty:
Over Inflated Egos are Empty:
And this is something that we need to deal with as well. Many of us wrestle with the same thing that these people in 1st century Corinth were wrestling with—in fact this is just a basic human need. We all want to feel significant—we want our life to matter—we want to make our lives count. We want to do something great and be remembered.
If something is filled with air, it means that there is nothing actually in there. It’s just empty space.
We all try to fill our selves with stuff because we sense the emptiness inside our souls.
Soren Kirkegard
In my life the things ive tried to fill up
Overinflated Egos are Painful:
Overinflated Egos are Painful:
The Human Ego is Painful:
When we find our worth in what we are able to accomplish in life; whether it be where we went to school; or who discipled us; or the organizations or social clubs we are apart of; or what books we have read; or what theological bent we have; or how much money we have…we become “puffed up” just like the Corinthians.
Have you ever noticed that you dont think about most of your body parts unless they are injured—unless something is wrong with them. Like you dont wake up and say, “Man my shin is just feeling amazing today.” Noone does that…the only time you even think about your shin is when something isnt right…when you feel the pain.
The same is true of our egos. When our egos are swollen, it hurts! How? Because our egos are always pointing us to examine ourselves. Ego is what makes us overly concerned with how we look, and what people think about us.
It swelled up about 3 times bigger than it normally was
This is why people say their feelings are hurt. But “feelings” cant get hurt. In fact, “hurt” is a feeling itself. When we say our feelings are hurt—or when we get depressed about someone not liking us—our feelings are hurting, our ego, our sense of self-worth is hurting.
And the fact is that the reason that our egos—our selves—hurt is because there is something incredibly wrong with our sense of self worth. Think about it, how hard is it to go through one whole day without feeling let down by someone or something. How often do we feel stupid becasue of something we did or didnt do? We hurt in those moments because because something has gone horribly array in the human soul. Our egos hurt because there is something wrong with my identity…it is never completely happy and content....it is always drawing attention to itself…like a swollen ankle.
Let me give you an example...
Over Inflated Egos are Busy:
Over Inflated Egos are Busy:
Paul
Look again at verse 6…notice that Paul says about arrogance...
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be arrogant, favoring one person over another.
He says that the essense of arrogance is “favoring one person over another.” The way the human ego tries to fill itself is by showing itself to be more valuable than other people.
I love what CS Lewis says in his famous chapter on Pride in Mere Christianity, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.”
What is Lewis saying? He is saying that our natural egos are constantly busy comparing themselves to others around us in order to make us feel worthy. It isnt enough to just be pretty. We have to be prettier than “that person.” It isnt enough to just have money. We want more money than the next guy. It isnt enough to be talented, if someone else is more talented than us, we feel less lovable, less valuable.
So our empty, over inflated egos, keep us busy…always trying to prove ourselves to be better than other people around us. Otherwise, we become worthless.
Over Inflated Egos are Fragile:
Over Inflated Egos are Fragile:
Madona once said,
“My drive in life comes from a fear of being mediocre. That is always pushing me. I push past one spell of it and discover myself to be a special human being but then I feel I am still mediocre and uniteresting unless I do something else. Because even though I have become somebody, I still have to prove that I am somebody. My struggle has never ended and I guess it never will.”
The Supernatual Human Ego
The Supernatual Human Ego
Paul uses himself as an example of what a healthy sense of self worth looks like.
1 A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God. 2 In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful. 3 It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even judge myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.
1 Corinthians 4:1-
There are two parts to Paul’s supernatural human ego:
He doesnt care what others think of him
vv. 3
He doesnt care what he thinks about himself
And it isnt because Paul has a high self esteem—
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Paul knew that he was STILL the worst sinner he knew. He knew that he was full of shortcomings and failures. But he didnt care!
Why?
Because Paul’s identity his self-esteem wasnt based on himself at all…it was based on what God said about Him.
The Power of Transforming Grace
The Power of Transforming Grace
Paul understood that he had been graced by jesus.
God was his judge.
And God’s judgement was:
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 corthians 5:17-21
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Ephesians 2:4
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Paul was totally secure…he didnt have a puffed up ego because he never even thought about himself at all…he experienced the blessing of self forgetfulness…and this is the only had when we accept the free gift of grace offered to us in Jesus Christ.
Jesus stood before men and was judged so that we dont have to care about what men think about us. When you look in the mirror…dont tell yourself your beautiful, talented, and special.
See yourself as one who is more loved and approved by God by grace through faith in Christ alone.
You dont need to live up to the standards of the world…and you dont even need to live up to the standards you set for yourself…because Christ Jesus did that on your behalf.
So step into this amazing grace tonight.
