GALATIANS - SERMON 40

GALATIANS 6 — BIBLICAL VIEW OF SELF-ESTEEM

Pastor Max Doner, Sovereign Grace Bible Church Lebanon, Oregon
27 September 1998

INTRODUCTION: Read Galatians 5:26 – 6:5

The believer is not to be desirous of vain glory, but rather he is to have a spirit of
meekness in restoring others. He is to have an attitude of self distrust lest he fall into the
similar sins. Galatians 6:2 teaches the believer to have a selfless, servant heart that
bears the burdens of other people. These attitudes are only possible in the context of
humility. These attitudes are destroyed by an attitude of pride. For this reason Paul, in
verse 3, addresses the subject of pride by addressing the issue of excessive self-esteem.

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he

deceives himself.

It is an inordinate self-esteem that leads a man to view his fellow man with contempt by
nurturing too high of a view of his own self. This will foster an attitude of indifference
towards others. This will not promote the attitude or the duties of verses 1 and 2
(restoration and burden-bearing). Paul seeks to lower the self-esteem of his readers by
challenging their self-deception in the matter. He does this by setting forth the truth of
what his readers really are.

OUTLINE:
I THE PROBLEM EXPRESSED
II THE REALITY EXPLAINED
III THE RESULT EXPERIENCED

I THE PROBLEM EXPRESSED: Galatians 6:3

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives

himself.

The problem that Paul expresses is that people think that they are something. They are
filled with a sense of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, and self-esteem. This exalted
self-esteem is a significant problem in our day for two reasons.

First, it is a great problem due to natural human pride. Because of our fallen natures, we
tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We think better of ourselves
than reality would permit if we understood reality correctly. Who we are and what we
are, if rightly evaluated will not promote an inordinate self-esteem in us. From our
fall man has desired to be a god himself which has resulted in thinking better of
ourselves than we should. This is a portion of the argument of Romans 9 in which man
sets himself against God as knowing better than God. God, through Paul, rebukes such
thinking.

. . . indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say
to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" (Romans 9:20)

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 Paul seeks to lower the self-esteem of people for arguing against the sovereign will of
God in Romans 9. In Galatians 6:3 Paul corrects our inflated self-esteem by reminding
us what we really are in relationship to our high view of ourselves - we are nothing.
What is mankind really? In and of himself man is really nothing. Man’s exalted self-
esteem has been readily portrayed throughout man’s history.

We see it in the prideful arrogance of unbelievers.

Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel
go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go."

We see it in the inflated self-confidence of believers.

Revelation 3:17
"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -
- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked --

It is the description given to mankind.

Proverbs 30:12-13
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its
filthiness. There is a generation -- oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their
eyelids are lifted up.

It is the description of the wicked.

Psalm 36:2
For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and
when he hates.

Second, this is a particular problem in our day because of the dedicated self-esteem
movement. An increase in one’s own self-esteem is the continuous message of our
day. Robert Schuller has written a book entitled Self-esteem, the New Reformation.
In this book Schuller writes “self-esteem is the single greatest need facing the human
race today.” Is self-esteem a greater need than salvation?

[Here is a quotation from that book, page 64, "Classical theology has erred in its
insistence that theology be 'God-centered,' not 'man-centered.'"
"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" (p. 68).
"The Cross sanctifies the ego trip. For the Cross protected our Lord's perfect self-
esteem from turning into sinful pride" (p. 75).]

James Dobson echoes this religion of self-esteem. In one of his books, What Wives
Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women. He writes, “the greatest need that women
have is the need for a healthy dose of self-esteem.”

Arthur Rouner (?) writes that you “have to think your are somebody.” Is this not the
opposite of what the Holy Spirit through Paul is writing? Paul says if anyone thinks
himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
A major theme in Dobson is positive self-esteem. In his book Hide or Seek this is his
recommendation for children. The book “is devoted to ten comprehensive strategies
for building self-esteem in our children.” (J Dobson).

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 The whole self-esteem movement promotes the exact opposite of what the Spirit of
God commands and teaches (e.g. Galatians 6:3). A pursuit of self-esteem makes one
self-centered, egotistical, and proud in the extreme. The problem in our day is not a
lack of self-esteem, but an exaggerated self-esteem. To pursue a positive self-esteem
is a contradiction to all that the Bible teaches regarding humility, self-abasement, and
self-denial. The problem behind a lack of meekness, a servant’s heart, and self-
distrust (Galatians 6:1-2) is that people think themselves to be something (Galatians
6:3). The pursuit of a positive self-esteem leads to self-serving rather than service to
others. A man who thinks too highly of himself will not stoop to help others. This kind
of man looks only to receive esteem from others.

II THE REALITY EXPLAINED: Galatians 6:3

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives

himself.

That reality as explained in this verse is that he is nothing. In himself, mankind is

nothing.

What is the biblical witness to the worth and value of mankind.

Psalm 62:9
Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are
weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor.

Isaiah 40:6-8
The voice said, "Cry out!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all
its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades,
because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The
grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:15-17
Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust
on the scales; look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not
sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations
before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and
worthless.

Isaiah 41:14
" Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD and
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:26-31
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do
them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be
My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.
I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. And I will

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 multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need
never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. Then you will
remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe
yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.

God is saying in this place that a proper disposition concerning oneself is self-loathing.

Job 42:6 (also see Job 25:6)

“Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Once Job got to this place of self-abhorrence God restored him.

Matthew 23:12
"And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.”

Any movement that encourages and teaches a positive self-esteem must deal with the
overwhelming evidence and testimony of the Word of God against their position.

1 Corinthians 3:5-7
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed,
as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the
increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God
who gives the increase.

This is Paul, the new covenant believer, speaking about himself.

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

2 Corinthians 12:11
I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have
been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles,
though I am nothing.

Ephesians 3:8
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. . .

Paul uses a comparative upon a superlative for emphasis in this verse.

1 Timothy 1:15
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.
When we examine the statements of God about men and the statements of godly men
about themselves the universal assessment concerning mankind is that he is nothing. The
first mark given concerning evil men in the last days is that of positive self-esteem.

2 Timothy 3:1-2

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 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy. . .

Self-love is a mark of apostasy.

We must ask the Bible what David has asked.

Psalm 8:4
What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?

A saved mans knows and believes that he is an exceedingly sinful man before God. He
sees himself as ignorant, depraved, and foolish. In himself he sees himself as nothing.
This prevents pride and superiority in him. A believer realizes that whatever he has done
or accomplished has been the work of God and the gift of His grace. The more a man
comes to a biblical self-image the more he is freed from self-love and self-esteem. Such a
man becomes humble and profitable as a servant to others. The devil would put us in
chains. The chains the devil uses are those of self-centeredness and the positive self-
esteem concept.

What makes us tender, generous, meek, sympathetic, and humble toward others is the
realization that we amount to little. Those who think little of themselves think much of
others. These become servants of others.

Philippians 2:3-4
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for
his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

The antidote to selfish ambition and conceit is lowliness of mind. This antidote
exhorts us to esteem others better than himself. Is this not the exact opposite of
what the self-esteem movement is teaching us? Verse 4 goes on to prescribe service
to others and a concern for others before oneself.

Such was the example of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

Mark 10:45
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many."

Our Lord was meek and lowly:

Matthew 11:29
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.”

III THE RESULT EXPERIENCED: Galatians 6:3

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives

himself.

When one thinks oneself to be something when he is actually nothing, the result is
deception - he deceives himself.

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 Matthew Henry writes; “Self-conceit is but self-deceit.”

Those who are filled with self-esteem are those filled with self-deception. They are
deceived concerning who they are as people, their role in relationship to others, and
about their worth and standing in the eyes of God.

We have a classic example of sinful self-esteem in the praying Pharisee of Luke 18.

Luke 18:11-12
"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not
like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I
fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

Luke 18:13-14
"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

It is self-deception that lies at the foundation of self-esteem. This deception arises from
within the human heart.

Jeremiah 17:9
" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know
it?”

So Paul exhorts us not to be self-deceived.

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let
him become a fool that he may become wise.

Self-deception regarding his own capabilities laid at the root of Peter’s problem.
John 13:36-38
Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward."
Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for
Your sake." Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most
assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three
times.”

Peter was deceived as to his own ability and strength. This led to his great failure.

Conclusion;
Let us cultivate a biblical self-esteem. Let us realize our lowliness and unworthiness. Let
us therefore turn away from ourselves unto God and unto the service of others. True
satisfaction comes from serving others rather than oneself (next week’s sermon -
Galatians 6:4). There is an important contrast between the man of verse 3 and the one of
verse 4.

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 There is a balance. Are we able to achieve great things? Yes, in the Lord only. Are we
not adopted sons of God and significant in His eyes? Yes, but not because of what He has
found or seen in us. It is because of what He has done for us, not what we have done for
Him.

It is true that I can do all things . . . but can I do all things myself?

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The antidote to self-esteem is not to give up in resignation to our inability, but rather a
turning unto Christ for His strength to accomplish good things for God’s glory. It is God
and the Lord Jesus Christ who are to be esteemed highly. It is our goal to draw attention
to Him, not to us.

Hymn # 195

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