The Freedom of Self-Forgetfullness
This past week we dove into Luke 18:9-14 and the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. One thing we saw is how pride produces a mis-guided focus, which in turn produces a sense of harmful and fickle self-confidence. Our focus is often either on what others think of us or what we think about ourselves and thus we attempt to build our self-esteem on either an internal or external standard.
The Bible, however, gives us a third way. This way, Tim Keller calls The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness and Keller wrote a brief but rich book unpacking the way of self-forgetfulness over self-confidence from 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7
So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgement before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Below are a couple excerpts from Keller’s book:
“In verse 6, Paul urges the Corinthians to have no more pride in one person over another. Nothing new, we may think. Of course pride is inappropriate. But we need to realize that the word Paul uses for pride is not the normal hubris word for pride, but physioō…by using this particular word, Paul is trying to teach these Corinthians something about the human ego. This word used here for pride literally means to be overinflated, swollen, distended, beyond its proper size.”
“Because it is such an evocative and interesting metaphor, I think we are supposed to reflect on the image and on what Paul is trying to say…I think the image suggests four things about the natural condition of the human ego: that it is empty, painful, busy, and fragile.”
“Firstly, empty. The image points to the fact that there is emptiness at the centre of the human ego. The ego that is puffed up and over-inflated has nothing at its centre. It’s empty.”
“And, secondly, it is also painful. A distended and overinflated ego is painful…The ego often hurts. Have you ever thought about the fact that you do not notice your body until there is something wrong with it? That is because the parts of our body only draw attention to themselves if there is something wrong with them. The ego often hurts. That is because it has something incredibly wrong with it…It is always drawing attention to itself - it does so every single day. It is always making us think about how we look and how we are treated. People sometimes say their feelings are hurt. But our feelings can’t be hurt! It is the ego that hurts - my sense of self, my identity. Our feelings are fine! It is my ego that hurts.”
“[Thirdly], the ego is incredibly busy - in other words, it is always drawing attention to itself. It is incredibly busy trying to fill the emptiness. And it is incredibly busy doing two things in particular - comparing and boasting…we are only proud of being more successful, more intelligent or more good looking than the next person…By comparing ourselves to other people and trying to make ourselves look better than others, we are boasting. Trying to recommend ourselves, trying to create a self-esteem resume because we are desperate to fill our sense of inadequacy and emptiness.”
“And lastly, as well as empty and painful and busy the ego is fragile. That is because anything that is overinflated is in imminent danger of being deflated - like an overinflated balloon. If we are puffed up by air and not filled up with something solid, then to be overinflated or defected comes down to the same thing. A superiority complex and ain inferiority complex are basically the same. They are both results of being overinflated.”
“[Paul then] shows [the Corinthians] how the gospel has transformed his sense of self-worth, his sense of self-regard and his identity. His ego operates in a completely different way now…Paul is saying to the Corinthians that he does not care what they think about him. He does not care what anybody thinks about him.”
“In fact, his identity owes nothing to what people say…Paul’s self-worth, his self-regard, his identity is not tied in any way to their verdict and their evaluation of him…And then he goes one step further: he will not even judge himself. It is as if he says, ‘I don’t care what you I think. I have a very low opinion of your opinion me – but I have a very low opinion of my opinion of me.”
Keller then writes…
“Paul is bringing us into new territory that we know nothing about. His ego is not puffed up, it is filled up. He is talking about humility…Gospel-humility is not needing to think about myself. Not needing to connect things with myself…In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self-forgetfulness. The blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings.”
He concludes with how we obtain such gospel-humility:
“Paul is saying that in Christianity, the verdict leads to performance…[Romans 8:1 says], “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
“You see, the verdict is in. And now I perform on the basis of the verdict. Because [Jesus] loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my resume. I do not have to do things to make me look good. I can do things for the joy of doing them.”
May we daily remind ourselves that if you are in Christ your verdict is in: innocent. And may that truth create a depth of gospel-humility in your life.
We would encourage you to pick up this helpful resource from Tim Keller and make it a regular read in your life.
