Thursday: Self-Centered Living Versus Christ-Centered Living
Read Galatians 5:16-26 and compare it with Ephesians 5:1-9, Ephesians 5:17-20. List the differences between a self-centered life and a life that is filled with the Spirit.
The life of a person who does not live in the Spirit is radically different from the life and values of a person who is filled with the Spirit.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
| Self-centered Person | Spirit-controlled Person |
|---|---|
| Desires what is sinful and displeasing to God | Desires what is spiritual and pleasing to God |
| Is controlled by sinful passions | Is controlled by the Spirit |
| Misuses his/her freedom and gets enslaved in sin | Is set free from the bondage of sin and is called to freedom in Christ |
| Is disobedient to God’s will | Is obedient to God’s will |
| Is self-indulgent | Is self-sacrificing |
| Displays the fruit of sin | Displays the fruit of the Spirit |
| Does not recognize the need for forgiveness and is boastful of self | Recognizes the need for forgiveness and praises Jesus for what He has done |
The life of a person who is filled with God’s Spirit is characterized by a loving obedience to God’s law and a gentle spirit of compassion for others (see 2 Cor. 5:14, NASB). Having been renewed in our mind and thinking and having received a new heart and a new outlook on life, our values and behavior will change. We want to live our life no longer in our own strength but in submission to the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:3).
We cannot transform ourselves. We possess no real power to change ourselves, for sin is too deeply ingrained in us. The renewing energy must come from God. The change from within can be successful only through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. No mere external change, such as correcting this or that bad habit, makes us Christians. The change has to come from a heart renewed by the Holy Spirit.
This is the work of a lifetime, a work that will have its up and downs, but a work that God promises to do in us if we surrender to Him. “[B]eing confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6, NKJV).
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In what areas of your life do you see the selfish, self-centered part come through, and in what parts do you see a life that reflects the working of the Holy Spirit in you? What does your answer tell you about yourself and the choices you need to make? |
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1, i sometime dont share with people dont feel like sharing.
2, loving people in there needs.
3, help more people in there needs and i thank God for this gift.
All we require is a simple prayer for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us as promised by the Lord.
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6, NKJV).
Amen.
I know I need to let go of past hurts and think of God. I need to forgive as I would want to be forgiven. By Gods grace & much prayer supplication it will happen soon.
That is so true. I read the lesson and it has opened my eyes and heart to change me. I struggle now with sin. I am asking all day for the Holy Spirit to cover me. This lesson has been a game changer for me. I hope all who read it that it opens your eyes and heart like it did mine. Thank you Jesus for what you did for me.
Phil. 1:6 gives me hope to know that the Lord himself shall bring unto completion the good work of sanctification that He begun in me, in us. The certainty I found it at the cross when after years of service to fallen humanity Jesus cried at the cross It is finished. John 19:30. I need him daily every step of the way and fully surrender all to Jesus. He is faithful.
God came to give us abundant life (John 10;10). This life is experienced through our partnership with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22 -23). Who can deny the power of love and joy? Who in his right mind would trade peace for conflict? How do you feel when you exercise patience, or when you are the recipient of patience? Lately, has anyone asked you to be gentle? Can you categorize what you do each day as "good"? Is your faith in God leading you through your challenges? How visible is meekness (humility) in your conduct? Are you pursuing temperance in all things?
Well we just did some introspection of the fruit of the Spirit!! Honestly! I can measure my degree of HAPPINESS by my response to the questions. The fruit of the Spirit is a package of happiness. Remove the Holy Spirit from us , our hearts would be heavy with hatred and all manner of evil.
A self - centered life is ruled by passions, feelings and emotions (flesh), a Christ centered life is governed by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1 says 'there is no condemnation to they that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Being in Christ literally means someone having the Spirit of God, vs 8 says they that are after the flesh cannot please God. It is these flesh things that gratify appetite and lower passions that separate us from living Christlike lives. If ever we doubt the abiding presence of his Spirit in us, we are therefore not CONFIDENT that he who began this good work will finish it in us. May God help us to confident trust him in perfecting our lives to a Christ Centered life through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Where the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation to those who "walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit," and specially the part where he says, "after the flesh," he meant the "sinful things of the flesh," like, fornication, drunkenness, covetousness etc. and not the warranted desires of the flesh such as satisfying the need for food, sleep, rest, thirst, or even sex in love and marriage between a man and a woman in a love relationship in romance and love between a husband and a wife.
I wonder if we ever stop to think that you can be religious and self-centred at the same time. I have just read the comparison table above but some of the self-centred points are very obvious and most of us would like to think that we do not behave like that.
Here are some points that may be worth considering:
1) Do you want others to see you as religious by making a point of quoting the Bible and/or Ellen White?
2) Do you find yourself spending a lot of time and effort criticizing and finding fault with the church or church members for their perceived standards?
3) Is your main aim of being saved to be in heaven?
4) Do you want to convert people and see them baptized into our church?
While some of these aims can be seen as Christ-centered, there is a clear self-centeredness about them if we let that happen.
Remember the Pharisees were arguably the most religious group in Jesus day. They were keen proselytizers and could quote scripture well. Yet they received some of his strongest condemnation.
There is a real danger that we draw up our list of self-centeredness in such a way that it applies to others and not ourselves.
Today a friend called. We often worked together and she just joined the church here. I'm elated. One thing the Holy Spirit is helping me with is sharing without embarrassment my journey with Christ and what He's meant and done for me along the way.
My friend and I have similar experiences and it was encouraging to be able to let her know how God intervened, blessed and loved me over time. How He will be with her always.
Everyone's comments were right- on. I enjoyed reading them and appreciated them. We are certainly living in the last days of earth's history and we will need the Holy Spirit to guide us through. Again thanks.
It is good to be self-aware but dangerous to concentrate on what I do or don't do, being Christ-centered means I spend more time thinking about Jesus then I do thinking about myself.
I thank God for the thusday lesson.it has shown me the really me and the action of my flesh.
I can find myself so wrapped up in my daily life that it appears to be all about me. Rather than making time for the Holy Spirit to do what He wants me to do. I will pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me my Spiritual Gift and to embrace it with all my strength and to live it out to manifest the fruits of the Spirit. Oh how I have hindered the working of the Spirit in my live. It is no wonder there has been no real heart felt joy to serve the Lord. I pray my life will be living testimony for the transforming power of our God almighty.
This prayer I have copied to the top of my prayer list to remind me to keep my mind on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and not myself! Thank you!
God has blessed me with the gift of music, with playing guitar and also singing. For the last two or three weeks He has blessed me with the words of the song, "Make Me A Blessing." And specially the words of that song, "Make me a blessing O Savior I pray, make me a blessing to someone today." And He has made me a blessing every single day since then and I plan to make this song one of my songs that I sing regularly for myself and for others. Praise God for His Mercy, Goodness, and Love, in sending His Son to be our example and our Lord and High Priest and soon coming King and in giving us His Spiritual Gifts to serve Him and our fellow human beings.