Video from The School of Life
Can we know ourselves?
Carnal men, natural men think they can and we are seeing this today in identity politics, Transgenderism to name but two.
We love human approval, honor, comfort, and life more than we love Jesus. The new self brought about through a believing relationship with Christ denies the old, comfort-craving self and embraces the superior joy and reality of knowing Jesus, no matter how high the cost.
I think we all realize that even if we are permitted to live a long life that we never truly know ourselves. Our sin nature puts a mask over the very inner self we seek. Only through the indwelling of the Person of the Holy Spirit and Christ do we even come close to understanding ourselves.
Mark 8:34-38
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save …
Once we are willing to give up everything in life, we can take up the Cross and deny the old comfort craving self. This is never easy and often takes a lifetime. Our besetting sins are like grooves in a record and are difficult to get past yet through Christ we can.
Daily obedience to Christ, reading his word, confessing our sins (1 John 1:9), repenting by changing what we think and do, realizing that Christ is a person and seeks you and loves you.
Don't forget him!