WHOSE ON FIRST BASE?

 

  Throughout the Torah (Old Testament), the Jews were never satisfied with just God but were syncretic — they followed other gods and most often their own guidance. They never totally abandoned God but assumed other gods wherever they were. God was jealous because of that, and the penalty for idolatry was great; it meant death! God takes fornication against Him with other gods very seriously.

  Just who is the most eminent “other gods” with whom people identify? Who is the chief god in the lives of individuals? That pantheon of gods are human beings! “Then (Jeshurun, or Israel, became fat) forsook God which made “him,” and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation” (Deut 32:15). Jesus is the Stone that the builders rejected (Mat 21:42). Hence, He is that “Rock.”

  It is Jesus who must be heartily esteemed. Jeshurun rejected God Who made “him.” Israelites became their own gods! Now, in the western world, especially the United States, all the people have become their own gods, and even the Church is syncretic! To what New Age gods are those? Those who estimate their own worth highly. That reference is the concept of “self-esteem” which came out of the Enlightenment and its first mention was by David Hume in the 1700s. Since that time, it has grown tremendously in the Church.

  First, however, it grew in that other “religion” — the religion of men. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers made self-estimation an important concept in psychology. Psychology accepts the soul but rejects God as its governor. Each person governs their own soul, and only you can fix You. In other words, psychology is a “religion” wherein each practitioner is a god and the chief “God” is the psychologist. (During my graduate work in that field, I was appalled that so high a regard was given to the professor and light regard to Christ. That was Jeshurun’s problem!)

  Although James Dobson is highly regarded in the Christian Community, he should receive much credit (blame) for introducing self-esteem to the Church. Many Christians leaders are sincere, but at times, sincerely wrong! “Self-esteem” was meant to be a realistic perception of oneself whether positive or negative, but eventually the pursuit of high self-estimation resulted. During that time, Christ-esteem became lessened. Self-assured (actuated) people did not need Christ for esteem when they had themselves. Not that Christ was abandoned, but that His Doctrine was added to by works. Now, new age people are to the point that a high-estimation of oneself is in conflict with the humility that Christians must have to be born-again (John 3:7).

  The gist of regeneration is the realization that Christians cannot save themselves! Only God generates and only God regenerates. The Hebrews of the exodus thought they could escape the poisonous bites of the serpents themselves but died. Only those who looked at what Jesus would do with the Serpent did not perish. The point to that (John 3:14) is that you are not to be esteemed highly, but humbly, because truly your power is limited, but God’s is not! So, rather than esteem Jesus “lightly” and yourselves highly, it is the opposite — esteem yourselves lightly and Jesus highly (What I call Christ-esteem).

  A high estimation of oneself was first encountered back in the Garden of Eden: The Serpent pegged it right when he spoke truthfully, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). “Gods” in that passage is ‘elohiym in the Hebrew. An exact translation would be Elohym, or God! In that context, the created would eventually replace the Creator and become their own higher authority. In the Enlightenment that was begun. The human race became more highly esteemed than God, and the esteem for Jesus Christ was lessened. Now, people have become more “enlightened” to the point that God is dead and they are alive. That was another concept of the Enlightenment.

  Rather than “enlightenment,” the human race was darkened by the knowledge of evil. The knowledge of the Enlightenment is that humans are master of their own domain, and Jesus has no influence over the affairs of mankind. The Enlightenment was a fulfillment of Satan’s warning back in the Garden.

  Now, the new age religion is old as time itself. Psychology is the “Rock,” and the “Cornerstone” (Christ) has been buried with time. Rather than esteem Jesus highly, nearly everyone, even Christians, cling to their own magnified self-estimation. Psychology has wrongly taught that people despise themselves! Truly, though, “No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it” (Ephes 5:29). Everyone, especially Adam, loves their own flesh. Nobody despises themselves, thus, everyone esteems themselves highly; so much so, that self-love is the biblical standard of loving God and others:

³⁷ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Mat 22:37-39)

  How much are Christians to love God? With their all, just as they love themselves. How much to love others? As they love themselves. To teach that people hate themselves is the ultimate lie. Of course, they may hate what they do and how they think, but ultimately, they cling to their godhood as if they are truly gods, or more rightly, that they are God!

KEY VERSES: ³ In lowliness of mind let each esteem other(s) better than themselves… ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:3, 9-11)

  Contrast the key verses to Deuteronomy 32:15 above. The Rock was “lightly esteemed” by Israel, but the Christians were told “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” As God exalted the Name “Jesus” — “above every name” — everyone is to exalt Jesus by diminishing themselves. Nobody is God except Jesus, and it is Him that IS God. “Sin” is desiring TO BE as God. Then, rather than pursuing high self-esteem, everyone’s self-evaluation must be reality — that people are not God and not even as gods. People are mere sinners, and the realization of that is “meekness.” And there is a reward for an accurate self-perception: The meek shall have bliss (Mat 5:5) just as always intended (Psalm 37:11).

  Rebirth is diminishing oneself and exalting God. The attitude about self-importance is “born again.” No longer will the new creatures consider themselves of high-worth, but humble in comparison to God. Rather than seek self-exultation, they will exalt Jesus. That is a precondition, or rather, an outcome of rebirth.

  So, put self-esteem in the darkness of the spiritual “vault.” It is not scriptural, but the mere doctrine of men. Christ-esteem is the Doctrine of God! The Enlightenment was a darkness which overshadowed the land. Let God’s Light shine through to you!

  Can you see the dead Serpent in his “tree” (the pole)? Jesus did that; you did not, and never shall. Credit God for defeating the Serpent because Genesis 3:15 is that Promise! Who is on that Tree? I see Jesus, and neither you nor me!

(picture credit: Amazon)