PAUL’S VIEW OF HIMSELF: “High Self-Esteem?”

“Self-esteem” is a concept that is very popular today, particularly in education. It is interesting to note that the United States is near the bottom in many academic areas compared to the rest of the world, but we rank number one in “self esteem.” In many cases, we are training our young people to know little or nothing but to feel very good about themselves in the process. They are being taught to stand up for their rights when they should be learning to stand up for what is right.

Even in some "Christian" circles, “self-esteem” is taught as a very important component of the Christian life. Some even push the idea that sin is low self-esteem, while salvation is high self-esteem. This is an extreme teaching, and it is far away from Biblical truth, but it is nevertheless out there. Following are a number of quotes from the book, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, by retired pastor Robert H. Schuller, who ought to know better. 

“…Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem … the core of sin is a lack of self-esteem…”

“Sin is psychological self-abuse ... the most serious sin is one that causes me to say, 'I am unworthy. I may have no claim to divine sonship if you examine me at my worst.' For once a person believes he is an 'unworthy sinner,' it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Jesus Christ.”

“To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image – from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust.”

“Jesus never called a person a sinner.”

“The Cross sanctifies the ego trip. For the Cross protected our Lord's perfect self-esteem from turning into sinful pride.” (What? Jesus could have succumbed to sinful pride?  Heresy!!!)

These statements by Schuller are just the opposite of the truth. A person must recognize his terrible condition as a totally helpless, hopeless, vile sinner BEFORE salvation is possible. We stand before God as guilty, lost sinners, and we have no method of salvation other than to “throw ourselves on the mercy of the court” on the basis of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. God saves us by his grace, totally without any merit of our own.  "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:19-20, NKJV).

Jesus’ View of Self-Esteem

Jesus said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:28, NKJV).

Some use this to justify “self-esteem” as Biblical, saying that Jesus was teaching that we must learn to love ourselves first so we can love others. Is this true? Please note the following, based on the Scripture quoted above:

(1)   The emphasis is on loving the Lord first and our neighbor second.

(2)   There is an assumption that we already love ourselves. The reality is that every human is born helplessly and hopelessly in love with himself. This is stated quite well in the following quote from my longtime friend and co-worker, Ed Cardwell:  “I think some people we have known over the years suffer from too much of the world’s ‘self-esteem.’ Just ask any thug, criminal, or general meathead bully. They think they are the most important person in the world, and if they don't get their way you might just suffer severely if you happen to be in their way.” This doesn’t sound like someone who needs to learn to love himself.

(3)   Self-love is not commanded; it is assumed. There is nowhere in the Bible a commandment to learn to love ourselves. That would be like a commandment to teach our children to sin. They will sin by nature. It would be a Biblical absurdity for God to command us to do those things which we will automatically do because of who and what we are. We will love ourselves without any instruction to do so. "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church" (Ephesians 5:29, NKJV).

(4)   Love for God and love for others is what needs to be learned. These things are what Jesus commanded, and His commands are based on things we otherwise would not do without His instruction to do so.

Paul’s View of Self-Esteem

Some say that Paul was very arrogant because he referred to himself numerous times as worth “imitating” when it comes to spiritual growth and maturity.

"Therefore I urge you, imitate me" (1 Corinthians 4:16, NKJV).

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV).

"Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern" (Philippians 3:17, NKJV).

"And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 1:6, NKJV).

"For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you … to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us" (2 Thessalonians 3:7,9, NKJV).

Paul did not say these things in arrogance. He had grown in the Lord to the point that he recognized he could say these things because he had learned Godly humility. He had matured, he was imitating Christ, and he knew that if others imitated him, they would also be imitating Christ. Maturity according to Paul is boasting in nothing but Christ’s grace and his own weakness. "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14, NKJV).

Paul didn't start out as a humble servant. Before his conversion, he was quite proud of himself. …though I also might have confidence in the flesh. "If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;  concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Philippians 3:4-6, NKJV).

He was the overseer at the stoning of Stephen.  "…and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul" (Acts 7:58, NKJV).

He was fanatical and the haughty persecutor of the early church.  "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison" (Acts 8:3, NKJV).  "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2, NKJV).

In grace, he was informed of his error by "…Jesus whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5, NKJV). Soon Paul recognized the worthlessness of his background and human achievement, and counted all these things "...as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8, NKJV).

Once his view of Christ was proper, Paul's view of himself began to decrease. This continued as he got older. Paul’s view of himself diminished and his dependence on the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ increased. Notice the common thread of GRACE than runs through the three steps in the progression of Paul’s view of himself:

(1)   Paul begins by recognizing himself as the very least of all the apostles. He knew he had persecuted the church “ignorantly in unbelief.”  "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; (High self-esteem?) but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (I Timothy 1:12-13, NKJV). "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:9-10, NKJV).

(2)   Next, he recognized himself as “less than the least of all the saints.” Not only did he see himself as the least of the apostles, but now as less than the least of all believers. "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8, NKJV). He became more and more aware of his own worthlessness as he saw the magnificent grace of God at work in his life. If we humans were already righteous, there would be no need for the grace of God.

(3)   Finally, near the end of his life, Paul recognized himself as “the chief of sinners.” "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15, NKJV). By comparison to the righteousness of God, we are nothing but helpless, vile sinners, and each one of us should see ourselves as “the chief of sinners.” That is quite an indictment of self, but it illustrates the tremendous grace of God. "…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…" (Romans 5:20, NKJV).

Only by the grace of God was Paul able to be a humble and effective servant of God, although he was the least of the apostles, the least of all the saints, and the chief of sinners. While in his depravity, man thinks he is higher than the highest, better than the best, greater than the greatest. Paul’s self-evaluation is the exact opposite:  lower than the lowest, worse than the worst, less than the least. 

Other key Scriptures touch on this topic of self-esteem:

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3, NKJV).

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells…" (Romans 7:18, NKJV).

The only Scripture that has both the word “self” and the word “esteem” in it is Philippians 2:3.  "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (NKJV).

"…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (I John 4:4, NKJV).

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5, NKJV).

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10, NKJV).

Paul knew he could take no credit for what God had made of Him. He was privileged to be a choice servant of the Lord, to lead many to Christ, to pen roughly half of the New Testament, yet he could take no credit. It was all by the grace of God.

Self-esteem is not a Biblical concept. We need Christ-esteem, not self-esteem. Proper “self-esteem” is not self-esteem at all. It is Christ-esteem. Paul did not have “self-esteem,” but he had “Christ-esteem.”

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, NKJV).

"…that in all things He may have the preeminence"  (Colossians 1:18, NKJV).

"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1, NKJV).

Paul described himself and others as:

(1)   "servants" - from the Greek word which means "under-rower."  An "under-rower" was a slave and an oarsman who served in the lowest level of a ship.

(2)   "stewards" - from the Greek word for "house manager." The steward of a household supervised the affairs of a household and was held accountable for the affairs of a household by the owner or master of the house. This word emphasizes responsibility.

Jesus Himself, the great Creator-God of the universe, practiced humility. "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8, NKJV).

Based on the teachings of Scripture, we need to remove all of this “self-esteem” nonsense from our vocabulary and from our teaching. We need to see that the grace of God is sufficient to deal with all of our sinfulness, and that an emphasis on “self” ultimately results in pride and arrogance, which will lead our Christian lives in the wrong direction.

The Arrogance of Man

“…When many unite as one, we can achieve anything. Together, we’re powerful.” These are some of the words from a recently-run radio spot encouraging us to unite to stop “global warming” and as some have said, to “save the planet.” This sounds amazingly like the historical account recorded in Genesis 11.

“Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.’ And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:1-4, NASB).

This action by humans was not a noble idea of self-preservation. Rather, it was an action of direct defiance of the command of God, found in Genesis 9:7 and other places. “As for you, be fruitful and multiply. Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it” (NASB). Rather than obey God’s command to go out and fill the earth, men decided instead to stay together in one place and make themselves “a name.”

When men attempt to defy God, the ultimate result is always judgment, and in the end, His will is done regardless of the efforts of man. When men, in their rebellion, choose to disobey God, He most certainly has the power and the right to overwhelm their disobedience.

“The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The LORD said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech.’ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 9:5-9, NASB).

Evidence of the arrogance of man abounds. We could all think of many examples, and I offer just a few in no particular order.

Many people operate as if the street is their trash can. How many times have we witnessed someone roll down their window and throw out a bag full of fast food wrappers? I once witnessed a father say to his little son, “Just throw it down. You don’t have to put it in the trash. They have people to do that.” Such inconsiderate behavior always makes me think about the fact that many people believe they are too good to pick up their own trash. “Let the janitor do it.” This is nothing but arrogance.

Once when I was on our school campus after hours, there were three young teenagers, not students at our school, out on the parking lot riding their skateboards. I went out and politely pointed out the posted sign that reflected our policy of no skateboards on campus. One of them decided to be the little smart mouth he had obviously, by a lack of discipline, been trained to be. “I’ve been on this earth for fourteen years, and I know my rights. I have a right to be here, and I have a right to ride my board anywhere I want to.” I resisted the impulse to say what I was thinking. Instead I pointed out that they were on private property and were in violation of our rules for those who came on campus. Only after they threatened to bash me with their skateboards and I mentioned calling the sheriff did they reluctantly leave, shouting insults and making obscene gestures as they went.

These three young “men” demonstrated an arrogance that is all too common among many young people today. This well could be a factor of a statistic I recently heard. While the United States is near the bottom in education compared to the rest of the world, we rank number one in “self esteem” and self confidence. We are training many of our young people to know nothing but to feel very good about it and to stand up for their rights when they should be learning to stand up for what is right.

Environmental extremists have been pushing “global warming” for a variety of reasons, many of which are suspect. When someone points out that back in the 70’s, scientists were warning us about “global cooling” based on the same rationale being used today to promote global warming, they are ridiculed because, after all, that premise was wrong, and we have no right to bring it up. Never mind that it was the same groups of people who promoted the one who are now promoting the other. When someone makes a remark about extremely cold weather, assuming it to be evidence against “global warming,” the global warming extremists will even say that cold weather is caused by global warming.

As a last resort, such extremists have begun referring to “global cooling” and/or “global warming” as “climate change.” This would imply that somehow humans, or at least the elite among us, know what is the best and most appropriate temperature for the earth to be. This is arrogant enough, but then we come to the idea that humans can actually make a difference in the climate. We humans are weaklings when compared to the power of God and the power of what is so often called “nature.” Someday, some scientist with no agenda will figure out that the earth gets its heat from the sun, and the cycles of the sun have more to do with the cycles of warmer and cooler here on earth than any other factor.

Ever since 1859 Charles Darwin published his book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, the idea of human evolution has been pushed as a foundational principle to all of science and necessary to a well-rounded education. Darwin did not think of the idea of evolution. He only popularized it.

Actually, the first evolutionist was Satan himself, when he was known as Lucifer. He believed he, as a created being, could “evolve” into God and take over the universe. He has been telling that lie to others ever since he first told it to himself. He told Eve in the Garden of Eden that she could be like God. Biological evolution is no less preposterous than Satan’s lie, and if the scientific community were truly unbiased and honest, evolution would be exposed as the greatest hoax ever perpetrated. Refusing to accept what God has said about the origins of the universe, all of life, and the human race is further evidence of the arrogance of man.

I could go on and on, but I am not trying to write a book. My purpose is to simply illustrate that men continue to operate in defiance of God. Puny, weak little men shake their fists in the face of God, but it never pays off. “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury…” (Psalm 2:1-5, NASB).

I KNOW WHAT IT SAYS, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

There are many today who approach the Bible from quite a different perspective than those of us who grew up believing it to be the infallible Word of God, our only rule of faith and practice. The continuing questions about its accuracy and reliability can be very frustrating when it seems so obvious that the Bible is not something to be questioned. However, we live in an era when many, even in the church, are so consumed with pop psychology and political correctness that they simply cannot submit to the simple, straightforward teaching of the Word of God. To some, it has become all about “what it means to me,” “how I feel about it,” and “does it make me comfortable?”

Often, the Scriptures are used to teach the very opposite of what they actually say. This is done by clever, sometimes scholarly-sounding manipulation of words, often by self-appointed experts with little knowledge of the Bible, in order to make a passage of Scripture say other than what it actually says. The Bible warns against such misapplication of truth. “…just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15-16, NASB). When confronted with something in the Scriptures that may be hard to understand or hard for man’s ego to accept, there are always those who are willing to distort the clear meaning or wrest it from its context to make it say what is more comfortable.

The Scriptures say that there are some who are “willingly ignorant” of the truth (2 Peter 3:5, KJV) or that they “deliberately overlook” the facts (ESV). In the NKJV, it says they “willfully forget.” The NASB says it “escapes their notice.” No matter how it is said, it is quite clear that some simply choose to ignore the truth of Scripture, and become as one teacher said, “dumb on purpose,” and they do so at their own peril.

One thing we hear frequently today is the title of this article: “I know what it says, but what does it mean?” Such a question, at best, borders on the ridiculous. I remember hearing Ken Ham, the creationist speaker, respond to this by saying, “If you come to a big red sign that says S-T-O-P, it wouldn’t make any sense to say, ‘I know what it says, but what does it mean?’ I’m not sure it can mean anything if it doesn’t say anything.” Mr. Ham was exactly correct.

A common practice is to use the Scriptures to justify pre-conceived beliefs. For example, if someone wants to believe that God did not really create the universe and all that is in it in six days, then it is a simple matter to reinterpret the Bible and make it say what is desired. For example, if such a Bible actually existed, the “Politically Correct Self-Esteem Version” (PCSEV) might say, “In several million years the Lord allowed the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them to come into being.” This would indicate that there was no specific, direct creative act by our omnipotent God, but instead, there is plenty of room for evolution and all of the other human opinion that so often comes into play when men try to tell God what He means.

What does Bible actually say? "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

Sin is an unpopular issue in today’s culture. The idea that there is a standard of which we all fall short is not at all politically correct. As a result, we get self-serving, popular opinions and reinterpretations of the Scriptures, such as, “All have made mistakes and can find relationship with God difficult unless they work hard to find a proper level of self-esteem.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

The biblical teaching of the penalty of sin is likewise unpopular. Would God really hold people accountable and bring judgment on them because of sin? Isn’t He a God of love? Doesn’t the word “love” completely define the very essence of who and what God is? In light of this, the Bible ought to say, “The cost of making mistakes is independence from God, but the reward of seeking a relationship with God is personal comfort and high self-esteem.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

And of course there’s this business of salvation. Isn’t it kind of a put-down of modern humanity to say there is need of a savior because of our sin, and to make it more humiliating, there is nothing we can do about it in our own strength? Aren’t we better than that? Won’t God accept our efforts on our own behalf? So we arrive at a new interpretation of Romans 10:9. “If you confess with your mouth your own deity, and believe in your heart that you are truly God, you will find yourself at one with nature and your own self-esteem.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

What about this stuff about the sovereignty of God in all areas, including salvation? Doesn’t such a doctrine violate the “free will” of man? Does it not make man totally powerless and give God much too high a standing? Does it not reduce man a mere puppet to be manipulated by God? A new approach to this doctrine is as easy as rewording the Scripture to say what feels good. “When the people heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying themselves; and as many as believed and sought a relationship with God were, as a consequence, appointed to eternal life.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

Another very unpopular teaching is that there are “rules” for Christians to follow. After all, “I am free in Christ.” It almost seems as if some would use The Shack as their Bible. A nice, convenient, comfortable rewording of the Scripture might say, “If you love me, and yourselves, you will seek a relationship with me (unless of course you find a relationship with me uncomfortable and not to your liking).”

But what does the Bible actually say? "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

We live in a day in which the value and even the definition of marriage has been undermined. The biblical view of “one man and one woman for life” has been replaced by “any two (or sometimes more) people together for as long as they feel like staying together.” So it would be easy for someone to re-write the Bible to say, “Persons, love your significant others, at least while you feel like staying together.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

Even though the simple matter of church attendance is quite clear in the Scriptures, it is not necessarily popular among professing Christians today. Some feel they can worship God in their own way – in the mountains, at the beach, etc. After all, “the weekend is mine, and I need to relax after a hard week at work. And besides, I don’t like the music, and I don’t like the pastor’s annoying preaching style. I would rather go where people will listen to my opinion instead of my having to listen to a sermon from the Bible.” It is almost as if some believe the Bible says, “Going to church can be a good thing, but only if it makes you feel comfortable and gives you what you want to hear, which will encourage you, and all the more as you realize how important it is to have your needs met.”

But what does the Bible actually say? “Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25, NASB). That’s what it says. That’s what it means.

It would be quite easy to think of many more examples, but there is really no necessity. Anything in the Scriptures that people don’t like can be dismissed through twisting the words and meaning to make it say what is desired. The Bible tells us that when people refuse sound doctrine, they will seek out teachers who will twist the Scriptures for them. ^“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NASB).

We need to take a proper approach to the study of the Scriptures, realizing that the Bible says what it means and means what it says. This can be summarized as follows:

“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise” (Dr. D.L. Cooper).

This has been restated as follows:

1. If the literal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense, lest it result in nonsense.

2. If the literal sense makes NO sense, seek another sense until it makes good sense.

3. If the literal sense seems to make good sense, but appears to be in contradiction to other parts of the Word, use cross-references, check original Hebrew or Greek, check context, tenses of words, arrangement of contradictory words and see other translations.

www.gnbcbible.com

These are good guidelines. As we study the Scriptures, our best approach is, “That’s what it says. That’s what it means.” What’s so hard about that? We either believe what God has said or we choose to let our opinions rule, which is a very dangerous way to interpret and understand the Bible.

Self‑Esteem or Christ‑Esteem

by James M. Bramblet

All through the history of Israel and the Church, God's people have erred by adopting terminology and ideas of the world which are contrary to the Word of God. Today when God is allowing mankind to explore and understand so many of the secrets of His universe, we are especially suscep­tible to ideas that appear to be scientific and practical. If such ideas are in the area of philosophy, psychology, or some other pseudoscience, it is easy to be deceived before we become aware of the anti‑Biblical nature of the teachings.

Modern humanistic psychology has developed the hypothesis that in order for a person to be psychologically healthy, he must have a high opinion of himself. This favorable opinion of oneself is called "self‑esteem" or "a good self‑image." This teaching did not begin in the Church or any Chris­tian Bible study, but in the psychology of the world. A number of Christians who are also psychologists have picked up this teaching in their psychology studies and have brought it over into their church‑related Christian instruc­tion. Unfortunately, these men are psychology students rather than Bible students, so they fail to see the contradiction between this teaching and the teaching of the Bible. It should be mentioned, however, that there are a few Christian psychologists, such as Jay Adams(1), who have not been deceived by this error.

Since the final result of a Christian experience is a good feeling about ourselves as new creatures in Christ, it is easy to confuse this feeling with the worldly concept of self‑esteem. The world, however, attempts to build this good self‑image outside the Christian experience and thus imposes on people a monstrous lie that everything is "OK" when it really isn't.

Many Christians also emphasize the human desire to feel better above the Biblical admonitions concerning justification and regeneration. On almost every hand in Christendom, people are using the terms "self‑esteem" and "a good self‑image" with the assumption that these are desirable traits. Few seem to recognize that these are worldly terms and have no foundation in Scripture. In Bill Gothard's notes, the first division is "Self‑image." He handles the subject better than most, but he does use the humanistic rather than Biblical terminology.(2)

The subtitle of James Dobson's book Hide or Seek is "Self‑esteem for the Child." For 155 pages Dobson presents the current humanistic psycho­logical thinking concerning self‑esteem. Only in the last four pages does he make a belated effort to reconcile these thoughts with Biblical truth. There he admits that "The need for self‑esteem becomes more demanding as it is gratified,”(3) but he still does not advocate repentance, regeneration, or justi­fication.

In a (June, 1983) publication of the Fundamentalist Journal, (Jerry Falwell's magazine) an article was included entitled "Help Your Child Develop Self‑Esteem." The author is Daniel Barlow, Professor of Education at Liberty Baptist College. Without referring to Scripture, Mr. Barlow assumes that self‑esteem is a good thing. An inset in bold type gives the key to his thesis:

"It is of critical importance to understand the two ingredients needed to help your child develop self‑esteem: a perception of personal worth, and perception of having some control over what is happening to him."(4)

A comparison of this statement with Genesis 3:6 will reveal a startling similarity. Eve became convinced that the forbidden fruit would make her wise and thus help her develop a perception of personal worth. She took control of her personal life by eating the fruit and gave some to Adam. In taking control of her life, she attempted to remove God's control.

The above‑mentioned writers are fine Christian men who have inadvertently used the terminology of humanistic psychology rather than the words of Scripture. But there are also pastors who have fallen into the same error. Robert A. Schuller, senior minister of Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, has written a book entitled Self‑Esteem, The New Reformation. Dr. Schuller does understand theology, and he carries the self­-esteem doctrine through to its logical conclusion. He believes that the Protestant Reformation based on justification was fine for that time, but that we now need a new reformation based on self‑esteem. He is desirous of breaking down the tension which exists between theology and psychology. In order to establish this new theology, he finds it necessary to redefine many Biblical terms. The Biblical doctrine of human depravity (Jeremiah 17:9) he cannot reconcile with self‑esteem so he denies it as follows:

"The core of original sin, then, is LOT – Lack of Trust. Or, it could be considered an innate inability to adequately value our­selves. Label it a 'negative self‑image,' but do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. If this were so, then truly, the human being is totally depraved. But positive Christianity does not hold to human depravity, but to human in­ability."(5)

He redefines the new birth in this manner:

"To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self‑image – from inferiority to self‑esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust."(6)

Following such a new birth he says that we can now pray the Lord's Prayer thusly:

"Our Father in heaven, honorable is our name."(7)

If brothers Gothard, Dobson and Barlow could see this logical result of the self‑esteem teaching, they would brand it heresy as does the writer of this paper.

Much of the present day emphasis on family problems and child training is permeated with this humanistic heresy concerning self‑esteem. We often encounter this teaching at Christian school conferences, and the practice of some Christian schools has been altered to meet the self‑esteem standards. If it were true that high self‑esteem is good and low self‑esteem is bad, then one would expect to find such teaching in the Bible. By using a concordance you will find that the derivatives of the word esteem are used in the English Bible a total of twenty‑two times. There is only one verse where "esteem" is used in conjunction with the word "self," and that is in Philippians 2:3 where it says:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves."

This verse is really speaking of other‑esteem rather than self‑esteem. The "lowliness of mind" recommended in Philippians 2:3 appears to be just the opposite of the kind of self‑esteem being recommended by modern psychology.

When Christ was on earth, there was apparently a similar heresy among the Jews of that time. In Luke 18:9-14 we read a parable which is prefaced by, "And he spoke this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous." In other words they were people with high self‑esteem. In the parable He tells about two men who went to the temple to pray. One of the men had a very high self‑esteem. When he prayed he listed off the good things about himself. He was not an extortioner or an adulterer and he often fasted and always tithed his income. Perhaps then as now there were psycho­logical sessions to build self‑esteem where patients took turns expressing their virtues. Or perhaps he had been taught as a child what a good little boy he was, with as little mention as possible of his faults. In any case, he had learned his lesson well for he certainly had a good self‑image and was able to list his many virtues.

The other man was a despised tax‑collector, and he had a terrible self‑image. He stood far away from the Pharisee. His head was hanging and his eyes cast down. He smote his breast in anguish, and the only prayer he could muster was, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

The Lord's comment on this parable was that the second of the two men was justified but not the first. Notice that He used the word justified rather than how they felt. No doubt the man with the self‑esteem still felt very good about himself, but the word justified refers to God's opinion of them. The tax‑collector asked for God's forgiveness and received it. The Pharisee's self‑esteem was so great he felt he did not need forgiveness, so he failed to ask for it and thus never received it. He went down to his house feeling great, but lost.

This story points up a number of errors that stem from the self‑esteem doctrine:

1. Self‑esteem therapy works as well for unsaved people as for Christians. Getting people to feel better about themselves brings them no closer to salvation by the blood of Christ. The Pharisee came into the temple unjustified and he left unjustified. It is difficult to practice self‑esteem therapy and be a soul winner.

2. Self‑esteem therapy does not lead to repentance. The better we feel about ourselves the less we feel the need to repent of our sins. This, of course, is in direct conflict with the teaching of the Bible. Both John the Baptist and Jesus began their teaching with "Repent ye" (Matthew 3:2, 4:17). Peter, preaching at Pentecost, instructed the people, "Repent ye" (Acts 2:28). When David's terrible sin was brought to his attention, he confessed and re­pented (II Samuel 12:13). When Christians sin they are instructed to confess their sins (I John 1:9). But repentance does not make one feel good. Repent­ance is humiliating and very hard on our self‑esteem. But God says, "Repent."

3. Self‑esteem therapy does not lead to justification. Justification is a legal term indicating that God has declared the sinner righteous because of the work of a crucified Savior. God's grounds for justifying sinners is stated in II Corinthians 5:21, as follows:

For he hath made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Our salvation is dependent on God's opinion concerning our righteousness. Many people with high self‑esteem will be cast into hell unless God sees them as "in Christ."

4. Self‑esteem therapy leads to self‑righteousness rather than God's righteousness. The Apostle Paul, like Christ, wrestled with the self‑esteem cult among the Jews of his day. He said concerning them:

"For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3).

Christ also indicated that the kind of self‑satisfaction or self­-esteem advocated by the Pharisees was not enough when He said:

"For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).

Having a good self‑image may make us feel better, but it falls far short of meeting the righteousness which is required of God. Only the im­puted righteousness of Christ will meet that standard. The Lord Jesus re­served His most scathing denunciation for the scribes and Pharisees. He said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…" (Matthew 23:13‑15, 23,25,27,29). After each of these exclamations He explained why He considered this outward righteousness so despicable: It was an outward show and in their hearts they were filled with extortion and excess. Following the heresy of self‑esteem will produce this same kind of self‑satisfaction based on personal pride which covers a heart of sinful desires and godless rebellion.

5. Self‑esteem therapy tends to break down Biblical, God‑given moral standards. Since the goal is to make each individual think more highly of him­self, it becomes necessary to explain away or condone his misdeeds. The alcoholic is sick not sinful. The homosexual has made a different sexual preference which should not be condemned. Many counselors speak of sexual partners rather than husband and wife so as not to give a guilt complex to adulterers. Some churches have softened the Scriptural teaching concerning divorce and remarriage, and if the self‑esteem heresy continues to grow in Christendom, we will see a breakdown of Biblical moral standards in other areas as well.

Philippians 2:3 recommends other‑esteem rather than self‑esteem. It teaches that self‑esteem will result in strife and vainglory. From this verse it is easy to predict what will happen to Christian people if the self‑esteem heresy is allowed to grow in our midst. Actually, it is what we have seen happening among people of the world since self‑esteem therapy was introduced. Deliberate self‑aggrandizement among Christians will result in:

1. An increase in family discord, separation and divorce. If there is any relationship where other‑esteem is essential, it is in the family relationship. Family living requires love and a loss of indi­viduality. The "I" life must give way to the "we" life. The Bible says that God hates divorce or "putting away" (Malachi 2:16).

2. Disobedient and runaway children in Christian homes. Children are told in the fifth commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother" (Exodus 20:12). This command assumes other‑esteem rather than self‑esteem. Parents are told to "Provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). Here again other‑esteem is essential. Strife and vainglory in the home is dis­astrous to the relationship of parents and children.

3. Conflict among Christian people in our churches. Other‑esteem in the church is particularly referred to in the Bible as follows:

"And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves" (I Thessalonians. 5:12‑13).

This verse refers to having esteem for pastors and other leaders in the church. It clearly indicates that the result will be peace. Self‑esteem, however, will result in strife and vainglory among church members which will in turn lead to church fights, church splits, and general chaos. I Corinthians 3:3 indicates that this comes about first with envying, then with strife, and finally with divisions. Anyone who has been through a church fight knows the suffering and hurt that ensues. If the self‑esteem cult is allowed to grow in our churches, it will result in more and more unhappiness in the place where we should find peace – the local church.

4. Dissension and divisions in our Christian schools. What was said above concerning churches is also true concerning Chris­tian schools. Schools are particularly susceptible to the self‑esteem heresy because this thinking has been so strongly promoted by modern secular educa­tors. Many Christian school teachers and administrators pick up the self‑esteem teaching in their secular college classes and bring it over into the Christian school without realizing it is contrary to Scripture. Also, some speakers and writers in the field of education who espouse the self‑esteem doctrine are professing Christians, so their influence affects the thinking in our schools. If this is allowed to continue, we will see a continual escalation of student rebellion, teacher dissatisfaction, board strife, administrators continually moving from school to school, and schools dividing because of strife. In other words, there will be an increase in the "strife and vain­glory" mentioned in Philippians 2:3.

It was earlier mentioned that the final result of a Christian exper­ience is a good feeling about ourselves as new creatures in Christ. The Bible speaks of a Christian having "joy" (John 15:11) and a "conscience void of offense" (Acts 24:16). Is this not self‑esteem? The answer is “No.” The Christian feels good about himself, not because of his own righteousness but because he is "In Christ" (II Corinthians 5:17) and he is fully aware that:

"In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, who is head of all principality and power" (Col. 2:9‑10).

This is not self‑esteem but Christ‑esteem. We need to seek not for a good self‑image but a good Christ‑image. Instead of self‑esteem therapy, we need to practice the Christ‑esteem therapy advocated and abundantly illustrated in the Bible.

Christ‑esteem demands that we accept the physical, mental, and emotional characteristics with which Christ has created us. "But by the grace of God I am what I am . . . " (I Corinthians 15:10). Christ‑esteem also causes us to be satisfied with the financial, social, and vocational situation in which He has placed us. "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (I Tim. 6:8).

The Bible instructs each of us "Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3). The Lord tells us that any man who follows Him must "deny himself" (Matthew 6:24), but He nowhere mentions that His followers must esteem themselves.

The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy warns that in the last days, "men shall be lovers of their own selves" (II Tim. 3:1‑2). In the verses that follow he lists the unfavorable traits that result from this self love. Today we are being taught the very doctrine that the Bible says will prevail in the last days. Verse five tells us that this teaching will lead to "a form of godliness, but denying the power of it." From such doctrine and practice we are told to "turn away" (II Tim. 3:5).

Although self‑esteem is taught by many Christians, it did not originate in the Bible but in the thinking of godless, humanistic psychologists. Many of these psychologists call themselves counselors. The Psalmist begins the Psalms by saying, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly" (Psalm 1:1).


END NOTES:

1. Jay Adams, The Christian Counselor's Manual, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1973, p.145.

2. Bill Gothard, "Self‑Image," Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, Pages 1‑8.

3. James Dobson, Hide or Seek, Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1971, p.157.

4. Daniel Barlow, "Help Your Child Develop Self‑Esteem," Fundamentalist Journal, June, 1983, Vo1.2 Number 6, p.29‑31.

5. Robert H. Schuller, Self‑Esteem, The New Reformation, Waco, Texas: Word Book Publishers, 1982, p.67.

6. Ibid., p.68.

7. Ibid., p.69.

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James M. Bramblet was my late father-in-law and a retired Christian school administrator.