Ep 195 – 1 John 2:12-17 PT 6

This is our sixth episode on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17 and our final one on verse 16. I’ve entitled is, “Self-glorification.” So far, we’ve looked at the dangers of self-gratification and self-indulgence. They are both forms of self-love. And so is this third one: Self-glorification. When we love the world and the things it has to offer, it can often take the form of our worldly accomplishments and material possessions. These things make us feel special. They provide us with a sense of self-worth and a means by which to measure our status. They feed our ego and stroke our pride. Which is about as dangerous as feeding the bears in a national forest. It looks innocent enough, but it could turn out to bite you. John wants us to avoid all forms of self-glorification. It’s probably one of the most insidious forms of self-love, because we don’t even realize that we are making ourselves our own gods. We look at our resume or our checking accounts and begin to believe that we are self-made and self-sufficient. And rather than glorify God, we glory in ourselves.