Is Your Perspective of Self Too Much, Too Little, Or Just Right? (Galatians 5:25-26)

 VIDEO

*I am unashamedly indebted to Tim Keller’s “Galatians For You” for the guiding thoughts in this sermon. 

Is Your Perspective of Self Too Much, Too Little, Or Just Right? (Galatians 5:25-26)

GIST: The Christian life is meant to be lived together. Both having too high and too low a view of yourself are signs of self-absorption which destroy community, and only the Gospel can really correct this. 

   

After focusing in on Easter the past two weeks, we’re coming back to our study in Galatians. We’re so close guys! The first chunk of this letter defended justification through faith alone. Then, in chapter 5, Paul transitioned into the application portion of the letter explaining the difference this grace should make in our lives. All last month, we broke down what it would look like for us personally to Walk in the Spirit, to truly live the Christian life. Essentially, we saw this would mean not being defined by sin anymore, but increasingly reflecting Jesus as we deliberately turn toward Him and He works in us (creating the fruit of the Spirit). 

Today, we’re coming to the final major transition before his farewell. We’re going to look at what has been labeled Chapter 5:25-26. However, nearly all commentators agree that this break was a little late as at least verse 26 is very closely tied to the early content in chapter 6. Here Paul moves us from the personal effects of grace to what could be called grace’s community effects. Walking in the Spirit means walking as part of the body of Christ. That is to say: we were never meant to do this thing alone! For the next several verses he’ll be outlining how we should be interacting with each other if we’re really living this life together. Before he takes us there, however, he makes this transitioning observation→ 

“25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

    This verse reminds me of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. In this classic tale of commended home invasion, Goldie comes into the Bears’ home and tests everything out. Everytime, the first two options are extremes, and they’re not quite right. Too hard, too soft, too hot, too cold…etc. So she moves on, trashing the house, until she repeatedly steals from the baby whose stuff is… just right. 

What Paul addresses here are two extremes of selfish living that destroy the community Christians are supposed to have: provoking and envying conceit. So, here’s our gist: The Christian life is meant to be lived together. Both having too high and too low a view of yourself are signs of self-absorption which destroy community, and only the Gospel can really correct this. Let’s dive in!

I. Too High & Too Low= Self-Absorbed & Destructive

    Look again at verse 26. “26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” The word translated conceited could also be translated as prideful or boastful. It means vain-glorious, the pursuit of empty honor, chasing after reputation that doesn’t matter. Guys, that’s our natural state. We touched on this a few weeks ago, but we have this deep desire to be accepted and gain approval. We care deeply about what others think of us; we want them to see us as valuable, or strong, or smart, or important (fill in your personal slant). However, it is really hard to live a life driven by the call to love God and love people if we never stop seeking ourselves and trying to get what we can out of everybody else to further that end.

Essentially, Paul lays out that this can manifest itself in two different ways that on the surface might seem like opposites: provoking and envying.

Provoking Comes From Too High A View Of Self. This term translated provoking carries the idea of challenging someone. Why would I say this comes from too high a view? Who do you challenge? People you expect to beat. You want to prove your worth by continuing to demonstrate your superiority. In contrast→ 

Envying Comes From Too Low A View Of Self. Envying is wanting what someone else has because you’re not satisfied with what you have. Don’t forget that last part. Envying never comes from a place of contentment. Both of these perspectives are as natural to us as they are→ 

Destructive. Seeking to conquer the world in our strength and prove our worth through our physical, intellectual, emotional, or even spiritual victory elevates our accomplishments to the level of self-righteousness… which Paul has been arguing against this entire letter. If your life is all about winning honor, you’re trying to save yourself (which you won’t do) and in the process you’re also completely unbearable to be around. How much do you like being around people constantly trying to one-up you and turn every conversation back to themselves? You’re never as sick as they’ve been. Your stories are never as funny. Your accomplishments are never as great. 

What about the envying person with a lower view of self? They’re still self-absorbed. They might moan more than they boast, but their moaning is driven by the same desire— they want to earn favor and recognition. The difference is they’re losing (or at least that’s their perspective), and they can’t stand it because life is supposed to be about them. 

I love this C.S. Lewis quote: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself: it is thinking of yourself less.” The envying spirit fails to appreciate the beauty and value of the life God has given you. It ignores His grace. As a result, envying people live in states of constant frustration and despair. How does that work for building community? Well, Eeyore lived alone ☺.

So both too high and too low a view of self is destructive, and→ 

II. The Gospel Alone Can Change This

    Conceited living is the→ 

Opposite of Walking In The Spirit. If we’ve been rescued by Jesus, we look at the world differently; our lives aren’t about us anymore. Tim Keller put it like this: “Only the gospel makes us neither self-confident nor self-disdaining, but both bold and humble. That works itself out in relationships with everyone. Rather than comparing ourselves with those “above” or “below”, we look only at our own responsibility to take what we have and are, and offer it to God as a sacrifice of gratitude for what Christ has done.” (Galatians For You)

Both aspects of conceit are attacked by the gospel because→ 

The Gospel Humbles. It reminds us who we are: sinners in need of grace. I heard someone describe this perspective as a repressive view of humanity this week. However, the gospel speaks to what we all know by nature, even if it hurts to admit it— we need help! I can’t do this on my own. How can I then look down on anyone when I realize we’re both broken people in a broken world? Yet, the gospel doesn’t leave us broken! → 

The Gospel Lifts Up. I might be a wretched sinner in need of rescue, but I’m also a wretched sinner He chose to rescue! The gospel reminds us that we are loved abundantly by the God of the universe. Eeyore missed this. Please don’t!

Let The Gospel Speak To Your Life. Chances are high that you have both of these problems. I do. I have times when I feel very strong and times when I feel very weak. It is so easy to fall into these self-absorbed patterns...unless I remember the gospel. I am not the center of the universe, and I am not forgotten. 

    Next week, we’ll look at the broader gospel context Paul is addressing here. However, if you look at 6:1a real quickly, you’ll notice the first word is brothers. We’re called not to provoke or envy but to love as family. That’s a fundamental switch in perspective...but we’ll just leave that as a teaser for next week!

TAKEAWAYS

1. Is your view of self Gospel-informed, or is it still too high or low? Or are you living provoking or envying lives. Tim Keller laid out these questions as a sort of gauge. 

• Do I have a tendency to “blow up” or do I tend to “clam up?” 

• Do I tend to pick arguments with people or do I completely avoid confrontation? 

• Do I tend to get very down on individuals and groups of people or am I more often embarrassed and intimidated around certain classes or kinds of people? 

• When criticized, do I get very angry and very judgmental—and simply attack right back? Or do I get very discouraged and very defensive—make lots of excuses, or give right in? 

• Do I often think: I would never, ever do what this person has done? or do I often look at people and say: I could never, ever accomplish what this person does?

2. Is that impacting how you treat everyone, especially those walking in the Spirit with you? Are you a self-absorbed provoker or envier...or a rescued and loved follower of Jesus? We’ll come back to this at least next week (though I doubt I’ll get to it all in one week!). What is your relationship with the Church (big C) like?