Sin. Satan. Selfishness.

My facebook friend and former Florida College classmate, Becky Hunter Copeland, recently posted a quote from Dennis F. Kinlaw that captured my attention and spawned a few thoughts for today’s “facebook Friday.”

Kinlaw, the late past President of Asbury College, and respected as an Old Testament scholar, was the author of several books. This quote is found in his devotional “This Day With the Master.”

“Satan disguises submission to himself under the ruse of personal autonomy. He never asks us to be his servants. Never once did the serpent say to Eve, ‘I want to be your master.’ The shift in commitment is never from Christ to evil; it is always from Christ to self. And instead of His will, self-interest now rules and what I want reigns. And that is the essence of sin

Kinlaw unmasked the true nature of sin under the guise and deception of personal autonomy. His observation “penetrates to the core of human rebellion against God,” as one writer expressed it. It reminds us of these three vital Biblical truths.

#1 Satan is Real.

He is not the figment of the overworked imagination of a fundamental preacher. Jesus acknowledged the Devil’s reality. Paul suffered Satan’s painful “thorn in the flesh.” And Peter warned us to stay alert to the Adversity, as we would a roaring lion.

#2 Satan’s Strategy is Deceptive.

Jesus said Satan was a liar. So, it’s not surprising that he uses subtle and sly schemes to seduce the inattentive, undisciplined, unsuspecting, and self-indulgent. Paul warns that Satan may disguise himself as “an angel of light” to dupe Believers, undermine the gospel, and blind our eyes to the Truth (2 Cor. 4:2-4; 11:12-15).

Satan calls evil good, and good evil. He exchanges light for darkness and darkness for light. And substitutes bitterness for sweetness, and sweetness for bitterness (Isa. 5:20). Sadly, too many are seduced and snared by this sophistry.

#3 Self-Centeredness is at the Heart of Sin.

Sin is often defined by preachers by with the Greek word hamartia which mean “to miss the mark.” A term that was apparently used in archery and spear-throwing when one missed the bulls-eye or the target. But sin is worse than that. It’s rebellion against God, His Word, and His way. It elevates my feelings, thoughts, and impulses above a desire to serve and please God. It seeks my pleasure and human acceptance, not God’s Divine pleasure and approval.

I recall as a boy hearing Bill Cavender preach about sin and connecting it to selfishness. He observed that if you sound out the three syllables of selfishness, highlighting the first three letters of each syllable, you have sin. Self-Ish-Ness. Bill said that selfishness leads to sin, and sin always involves selfishness.

We live in an age that values freedom, independence, and individualism. People speak of “my truth.” They assert, “It’s my body.” They champion “personal autonomy” as a means of authenticity. And they celebrate “self-expression” as the path to freedom and happiness.

The problem is this philosophy dethrones Christ and enthrones self. It disregards Jesus’ call to “take up your cross daily and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). It ignores Paul’s plea to crucify self (Gal. 2:20). It contradicts the command to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-18). And it undermines the Bible principle of self-discipline (1Cor. 9:27).

Kinlaw’s insight reveals a shift in authority, allegiance, adherence, and attachment. When we selfishly satisfy our own lusts, we’re serving Satan, not God. His Word has been replaced by the sweet whispers of Satan saying, “You deserve it….Be your own person…Enjoy whatever makes you happy.”

As Christians, we would do well to engage in self-examination. Are we fully committed to Christ? Are we submitting to His authority? Or in the words of another author are we “masking self-will with spiritual language?” Are we seeking first God’s Kingdom, or more invested in our own little Kingdom?

Our challenge remains the same as first century Christians. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Pet. 5:8-9).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman