As a young boy, there was about a five-year gap between me and my brothers closest to my age. Because of the significant age difference, they would always ditch me when they were going out to do something fun. Of course – I resented it. It took a while for me to learn how to gain their favor and be able to do things with them.

Currently, there is someone I have chosen to ditch – one I never want to be in my life. Yes, though it has taken a while to realize it fully, I have had an annoying entity always trying to be in my business – his name is self. This evil entity is always trying to get me to live by trusting in my own righteousness instead of God’s righteousness through Jesus. I have learned the hard way that as long as we trust in our righteousness to be right with God, everything we do gets messed up by this evil entity called self.

Holding on to my own righteousness as a means to gain God’s favor is the quickest way to lose the life of God altogether! The most glorious revelation I have ever received is that by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and his blood, I am as righteous as God himself! Only those with a childlike heart can receive this truth, and only those who receive it enter into the extraordinary life Jesus came to give us. You can’t earn it – it is a free gift!

Isaiah 64:6  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away. 

Galatians 3:10-11 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law. Because “The righteous will live by faith.”

Luke 9:24  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  

The more you know what God believes about you and how much he loves you, the idea of losing everything for the sake of God is the only thing that makes sense! This includes losing all efforts or works as a means to be holy enough to feel right about one’s self or to be right with God. I love the Mirror Bible’s rendering of Galatians 3:11; it says, “Habakkuk confirms conclusively that righteousness by God’s faith is the only basis to life; this terminates any possible justification before God based upon moral behavior. (Hab 2:4, 3:17-19.)

We cannot serve God or do his purposes even in the least bit by our own efforts; this is a supernatural work of God’s revelation living in us and through us! That is why Jesus said, “without me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The fact that we often feel like we have to be “right” in a discussion or argument shows our connection to self-righteousness! Giving this up is not easy! It begins with a revelation of God’s provision for our righteousness through the cross of Christ and then culminates inside a childlike heart that is willing to trust God so much that all forms of self-righteousness and religious works to be right with God are kicked out.

There is no doubt that the life God has for you far exceeds the life of condemnation and failure found in trying to be right with God by our works! But be aware, though; it will cost you your relationship with that old partner called self.” As Jesus said, “Whoever tries to save his life (the life of self) will lose it, but whoever loses his life(the old partner of self) for me will save it.  Luke 9:24

The only way to experience the abundant life God has for you is to give up every form of trying to win his favor through performance and works! Yes, the more you know that you are God’s greatest passion, the more you will gladly ditch…

That Evil Entity Called Self