Selfishness, defined as the excessive or exclusive concern with oneself at the expense of others, stands in stark opposition to the teachings and commandments found within the Holy Scriptures. The Bible consistently emphasizes love, selflessness, and the welfare of others as central to the life of a believer, making selfishness a direct violation of God's law.

Biblical Condemnation of Selfishness

The Bible explicitly condemns selfishness, highlighting its destructive nature and its incompatibility with a life devoted to God. In Philippians 2:3-4 , the Apostle Paul instructs, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This passage underscores the call to humility and the prioritization of others' needs over personal gain.

James 3:16 further warns, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice." Here, selfishness is linked to chaos and moral decay, illustrating its potential to disrupt community and spiritual harmony.

Selfishness and the Greatest Commandments

The teachings of Jesus Christ provide a clear framework for understanding the incompatibility of selfishness with God's law. In Matthew 22:37-39 , Jesus summarizes the law with two commandments: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" Selfishness directly contradicts these commandments, as it places one's own desires above the love of God and neighbor.

The Example of Christ

Jesus Christ serves as the ultimate example of selflessness. Philippians 2:5-8 describes Christ's humility and sacrifice: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross." Christ's life and death exemplify the antithesis of selfishness, demonstrating the call to serve and sacrifice for others.

Selfishness and the Fruit of the Spirit

The Apostle Paul contrasts selfishness with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 , which includes "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." These virtues reflect a life led by the Spirit, in stark contrast to the self-centered nature of the flesh. Galatians 5:24 states, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires," indicating the necessity of overcoming selfish inclinations to live a Spirit-filled life.

Selfishness and Community

The early Christian community, as depicted in Acts 2:44-45 , provides a model of selflessness: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need." This communal lifestyle reflects the biblical ideal of prioritizing the needs of others and fostering unity through selfless acts.

Warnings and Exhortations

Throughout Scripture, believers are warned against the dangers of selfishness and exhorted to pursue a life of love and service. Proverbs 11:24-25 offers wisdom on the blessings of generosity: "One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." This proverb highlights the paradoxical nature of God's economy, where selflessness leads to true prosperity.

In summary, selfishness is fundamentally contrary to the law of God as revealed in Scripture. It opposes the commandments to love God and neighbor, contradicts the example set by Christ, and stands in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit. Believers are called to reject selfishness and embrace a life of selfless love and service, reflecting the character of Christ in their daily lives.Leviticus 19:18
You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 22:39
And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 2:8
If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Attributes of Selfishness.
... On the contrary, it lays before him the consequences of ... in his ear the terrible
sanctions of the law. ... themselves, than they do in their beastly selfishness? ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xvii attributes of selfishness.htm

Do are Then Make Void the Law through Faith? God Forbid; Yea, we ...
... as reclaim him, but on the contrary, drive him to ... of those considerations that naturally
tend to confirm selfishness. ... The law represents God as armed with wrath ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/do are then make void.htm

Seeketh not Her Own. 1 Corinthians 13:5.
... of pursuit, is as contrary to the gospel as it is to the law. 5. It is contrary
to conscience ... we see how much pains men take to conceal their selfishness and to ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/seeketh not her own 1.htm

For they Loved the Praise of Men More than the Praise of God. John ...
... Whenever it is indulged contrary to the law of God ... principle, and we prefer our own
gratification to some other greater interest, it becomes selfishness. ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/for they loved the praise.htm

A Tribute from Enemies
... and light weights, and bad tempers, and dishonesty, and selfishness are. ... If earthly
authorities command what is clearly contrary to God's law, a Christian ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/a tribute from enemies.htm

Hopkinsians.
... and ambition among men, which is nothing but selfishness, acted out ... wrath, clamor,
and evil speaking; and every thing contrary to the divine law is briefly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/hopkinsians.htm

Sanctions of Moral Law, Natural and Governmental.
... disobedience to moral law, or from acting contrary to the ... We have seen that sin is
selfishness, that it consists ... That the penal sanctions of the law of God are ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xix sanctions of moral.htm

Sanctification.
... the liberty of the gospel, is absurd and contrary to the ... somehow to the level of
human passion and selfishness. ... in us "the righteousness of the law," and cause ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxxviii sanctification.htm

"God with Us"
... The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's ... represents God's law
of love as a law of selfishness. ... possible for us also to obey the law of God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 1 god with us.htm

Moral Depravity.
... notorious is the fact of human selfishness, that should ... his intercourse with men,
assume the contrary, he would ... to have secured conformity to moral law, as the ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxii moral depravity.htm

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