Selfishness, as depicted in the Bible, is a fundamental aspect of human sinfulness and is often characterized by living solely for one's own interests, desires, and needs, neglecting the well-being of others and the commands of God. This self-centeredness is contrary to the biblical call to love God and love one's neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39).

Biblical Examples and Teachings

1. The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21): Jesus tells the parable of a rich man whose land produced abundantly. Instead of sharing his surplus, he decided to build larger barns to store his goods, saying to himself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry." God calls him a fool, for that very night his life would be demanded from him. This parable illustrates the folly of living for oneself and storing up earthly treasures without regard for God or others.

2. The Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22): A young man approaches Jesus, asking what good deed he must do to have eternal life. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments and then challenges him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. The young man goes away sorrowful, for he had great wealth. His attachment to his possessions reveals a heart focused on self rather than on God and others.

3. The Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36): Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. They perform religious duties to be seen by others and love places of honor, yet neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Their actions are driven by a desire for self-glorification rather than genuine service to God and others.

4. The Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 11:17-22): Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their selfish behavior during the Lord's Supper. Some were eating and drinking excessively while others went hungry. This lack of consideration for fellow believers demonstrated a self-centered attitude that contradicted the unity and love expected within the body of Christ.

Theological Insights

Selfishness is rooted in the sinful nature of humanity, which seeks to prioritize self over God and others. The Bible consistently calls believers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). This involves a radical reorientation of life from self-centeredness to God-centeredness and others-centeredness.

The Call to Selflessness

1. Imitating Christ (Philippians 2:3-8): Believers are exhorted to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but to consider others better than themselves. The ultimate example of selflessness is found in Jesus Christ, who, though being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.

2. The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): The Holy Spirit produces in believers qualities that counteract selfishness, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits enable Christians to live in a manner that reflects God's love and concern for others.

3. The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-39): Jesus summarizes the law with the command to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. This dual commandment encapsulates the essence of selflessness, directing believers to live in a way that honors God and serves others.

Practical Implications

Living to ourselves is a pervasive temptation that can manifest in various aspects of life, including relationships, work, and worship. Christians are called to examine their motives and actions, seeking to align them with the selfless love demonstrated by Christ. Through prayer, study of Scripture, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, believers can grow in selflessness, reflecting the character of Christ in a world often dominated by selfishness.2 Corinthians 5:15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not from now on live to themselves, but to him which died for them, and rose again.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Love that Constrains
... as they are not ashamed to have exhibited all their ... Love is the antagonist of
selfishness, and the highest type of ... a man from the tyranny of living for self ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the love that constrains.htm

Christian Sympathy
... God that made them, have yet exhibited bowels of ... impediments to Christian sympathy
is our own intense selfishness. ... God, and should act as such; living to God ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 8 1863/christian sympathy.htm

Letter i. The Christian's Mark.
... This "living water," in the soul, is intended to ... There can be, therefore, no selfishness
in his desiring ... for thereby the moral image of Christ is exhibited. ...
/.../letter i the christians mark.htm

Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief.
... surely that insensibility which they exhibited on the ... in the desert, their greediness,
selfishness, murmuring, caprice ... in departing from the Living God." Moses ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vi miracles no remedy.htm

Semi-Parasitism.
... as the dead whelk's shell with the living Hermit ... reduces the end of religion to
selfishness, and offers ... The form of parasitism exhibited by a certain section of ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/semi-parasitism.htm

Letter xvi. Charity.
... charity is sufficiently comprehensive, if exhibited in all ... the most repulsive and
uncomfortable forms of selfishness. ... their dress, or style of living, or their ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter xvi charity.htm

Our Relations to the Departed
... teach us to regard more dutifully the living, they will ... in the light that has been
exhibited in this ... to it as the last refuge,"argues an extreme selfishness. ...
/.../chapin/the crown of thorns/our relations to the departed.htm

The Uproar in Ephesus.
... Our selfishness is concealed from others under a mask ... Perhaps, there never was exhibited
a more ludicrous ... decided the controversy between the living God, and ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxiii the uproar in.htm

The Attractive Force of the Cross.
... We are hereby entered among the living, and are ... In sin, in selfishness, in worldliness,
individualism reigns, and all ... and perfect; here it is exhibited in that ...
/.../iv the attractive force of.htm

Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.
... grace of the Lord had been exhibited towards him ... reigns triumphant in the Divine
Life, living in the ... far also from that more refined selfishness, which cannot ...
/.../epistle of paul to the.htm

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