Self? Or Christ?

Apr 12, 2016
Horatius Bonar

Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
The setting aside of self. “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.” I do not mean annihilating self, as some speak. There is no such thing, except in the dreams of a vain philosophy, or a self-righteous mysticism. I speak of giving self is proper place—the place recognized by our Lord, when he said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Lawful self-love is not selfishness; yet we may say that selfishness is diseased self-love; and, as such, is the master-sin, the master-curse of man. He lives for self; his estimate of everything is its bearing upon self; the gloss which he casts over everything is one derived from self. Self is the horizon which limits all his views. He is not like a man looking round on a noble landscape, and forgetting himself in the beauty of the wide expanse; but he is like a man carrying a mirror with him, into which he is continually looking, that he may see and admire himself; so that every object is seen in connection with self, and is only admired as it helps to set off self.
The apostle’s statement presents the reversal of all this. It shows us the mirror broken, into which we looked so complacently; the eye turned outward instead of inward; the horizon thrown back into the far distance, self forgotten, lost sight of—”None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” The Christian is done with self, at least, in the way in which we have hitherto been connected with it. Self is displaced. It is brought down to its true position and level; it is set aside entirely as an end, or motive; and this, not in one thing—but in everything; for we may take the words, life and death, not merely as expressive of the very things that they mean—but as bringing before us the two extremes of man’s being, and including, of course, everything between these two extremities. This displacement of self, then, is carried through man’s whole being, from one extremity to the other. From his life and from his death, as well as from all between, this self has been displaced.

Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Now, mark how this process is carried out. The first setting aside of self is in the matter of justification before God; for, previously, self was the main ingredient in man’s theory of justification. His object was to amend self, to improve self, or it might be, to mortify self, in order that thereby he might recommend himself to God. Thus self, in the matter of his justification before God, occupied the chief place. The first thing which the Holy Spirit does, when he convinces a man of sin, is to show that this cannot be; that self can contribute nothing towards his acceptance with God. What is conviction of sin but just the setting aside of self; a negative—but still an important, step; showing a man what cannot justify him before showing him what can. Thus it is, then, in the matter of justification before God, that the setting aside of self begins.
From that point it proceeds onwards throughout a man’s whole life. From life, in all its parts and movements, great and small, his inner life, his outer life, his domestic life, his social life, self is displaced. Life is no longer tinged or shaded, or discolored by self as it had once been. And then the close of his life, in like manner, exhibits the setting aside of self. On a sick-bed self is set aside; in dying, self is not allowed to come in. Nor in dying, are we to exhibit self or turn the eye either of ourselves or others to it; or to think merely of enjoyment, or comfort, or reputation among men, our good name, our fame after death—posthumous fame, as men vainly call it. In reference to all these points self is set aside—”None of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.” Others may live to themselves—but not we who have been “bought with a price.” Others may die to themselves—but not we who have been “redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.”

Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
How this elevates life! What was that which degraded life? It was the introduction of self. Now, this element of degradation is set aside, and life is lifted up into its true glory—the true position which God originally designed for man. It is no longer the degraded thing that self has made it—but a glorious thing such as God meant it to be.
How this takes away life’s pettinesses! What was it that introduced so much of narrowness into life, into every part of life, and its daily transactions? It was the infusion of self. It was this that made life feeble and little; that shriveled it up, and contracted its original greatness. But now that this element is set aside and expelled, life expands to its true dimensions. Its pettinesses are gone.
How this establishes and strengthens life! What was the element of our weakness? It was self. Yes! Self is the great element of weakness, for it disconnects us with the foundation of strength. It cuts us off from God. It isolates and makes us stand alone. But now, when self is set aside, life assumes the strength which God meant it to possess. It is “established, strengthened, settled.”
How this secures us against all failure and disappointment! Why was it that we failed so often in our schemes? Because we lived for self. Why was it that we were often disappointed? It was because we were seeking self; but now that this is gone we cannot fail, we cannot be disappointed in anything, for we know that, though our plans and wills are crossed, yet God’s good purpose is carried out, his ends are secured, his will is done. There can be no failure now; no disappointment now; for that which made failure and disappointment necessary and certain–has been wholly set aside. Now we go forward as men who feel that, let whatever may come upon us, upon our land, or upon our world, we cannot fail, nor be disappointed. All must succeed, all must be well.

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