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Scripture Reading: Matt. 16:23-26; Luke 9:25; Gal. 5:16b, 24; Rom. 7:18-21; Matt. 19:16, 20
I. The difference between the self and the flesh:
А. The flesh being the corrupted and transmuted body — Gal. 5:16b, 24.
B. The self being the fallen and rebellious soul — Matt. 16:26; Luke 9:25.
• When the flesh dominates the self, the self becomes an evil person — Rom. 7:18-21.
• When the self subdues the flesh, the self becomes a “good” person — Matt. 19:16, 20.
• The self being independent of God — 16:23-24.
• The self being the embodiment of the soulish life, one with Satan, and expressed through the mind — opinionated thoughts — vv. 23-24.
• The self being the hidden, damaging factor of our service in the church.
• The self needing to be crossed out — vv. 24-25.
In the foregoing lessons on service, beginning from Lesson 13, we have dealt with many negative things that frustrate and damage our service. Lesson 13 is on the danger and loss of not using our gift. Lesson 14 is on the strange fire. Lesson 15 shows us that we need to take heed how to build. We should not build with wood, grass, or stubble but with gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor. 3:12). Lesson 16 speaks of the impotence of our natural being in the things of God. Then we saw in Lessons 17 and 18 that we need to know the flesh in a thorough way.
We have to help the saints realize that in the service of the church we must know all these negative things. If we are not clear about these negative things and do not have a thorough clearance from these negative things, we can never have a proper church service. If we are not cleared up from all these negative things, we are still in Christianity in nature. So it is worthwhile for us to stay with the saints on all these negative points.
In this lesson we want to see the need for the denial of the self in our service to the church. The outline for this lesson is simple, but there is the need for much development, labor, and prayer on our part to enter into its intrinsic significance.
There is a difference between the self and the flesh, but most Christians do not realize this or care for this.
At man’s fall his body was corrupted, and then it was transmuted, changed. Galatians 5 speaks of the lusts of the flesh (v. 16b) and of the passions of the flesh (v. 24). The lusts and the passions are the evil things of our fallen body. The flesh is the corrupted and transmuted body. This is the most proper definition of the flesh.
The soul was created by God, but it became fallen. When it became fallen, it became rebellious toward God. In Matthew 16:26 the Lord said, “What shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul-life?” In Luke 9:25 soul-life is replaced with himself, indicating that our soul-life, our soul, is our self.
We have seen that God created a body for man, but He did not create the flesh. The body became the flesh by being corrupted. In the same way, the soul was created by God, but the self was not. The soul became the self by becoming fallen and rebellious. The source of the flesh is the body, and the source of the self is the soul.
In Romans 7:18-21 Paul shows how the flesh dominates the self and how the self tries unsuccessfully to overcome the flesh. When the flesh, which is full of lusts and passions, dominates the self, the self becomes an evil person doing evil things.
Some people are very strong in their will or in their character, so to some extent, but not altogether, they can control their flesh with its passions and lusts. Matthew 19 speaks of a rich young man who considered that he was good in this way. He came to the Lord and asked Him what good thing he could do to inherit eternal life (v. 16). When the Lord told him to keep the commandments, he said that he had kept them (v. 20). No doubt, he was a “good” person. This shows us that when the self subdues the flesh, the self becomes a “good” person.
The self is independent of God (16:23-24). It does not care for God’s will or for God’s interest.
In this point there are three subpoints. First, the self is the embodiment of the soulish life. Second, it is one with Satan. Third, it is expressed through the mind, which is actually the opinionated thoughts (vv. 23-24). We have seen already that the fallen soul is the source of the self, so the self is just the soul. The self is the embodiment of the soulish life.
At man’s fall Satan not only entered into man’s body but also entered into man’s soul. This is because Eve first accepted Satan’s thought into her mind (Gen. 3:1-5). Then she ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which entered into her body (v. 6). Before the fruit entered into her body, Satan’s thought had already entered into her mind. Therefore, the fallen soul is one with Satan. This is also based upon what we see in Matthew 16, where the Lord rebuked Peter by calling him “Satan” (v. 23). At that time Peter was in the self, in his soulish life, so he became Satan. This proves that the self is one with Satan.
After addressing Peter as “Satan,” the Lord said, “You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” This shows that the self, which is one with Satan, is expressed through the mind as opinionated thoughts. Thus, Matthew 16:23-24 shows us that the self is the embodiment of the soulish life, is one with Satan, and is expressed through the mind, that is, the opinionated thoughts. The mind is the channel, the means, for the self to express itself.
We need to impress the saints that the self is the hidden, damaging factor of our service in the church. It is like a hidden worm, eating up the fruitfulness of our service. We may have much service without any result of life because this worm, the self, is operating. If our eldership is not effective, no doubt, the self is there. If our ministry is not potent, the self is there. If our shepherding or fellowship with the saints is without profit in life, we have to realize that the self is there. The self is the basic damaging factor, but it is hidden.
In Matthew 16:24 the Lord said, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” The self needs to be crossed out. For dealing with the self, we need to bear the cross. This means that we must remain under the killing of the death of Christ for the terminating of our self. The self is living, active, and aggressive, so we need to apply the cross every day and all day long.
If our self is crossed out, the ministry will be wonderful, the eldership will be wonderful, all the services will be wonderful, and there will be no problem, no dissension, and no division among us. The self is a great, hidden, damaging factor to our service in the church. We need to share this lesson with the saints with the ministry of life to give them a deep impression of our need to deny the self.
