“Why self-improvement DOESN’T work” (Understanding the NEW MAN)–Part 3
We’ve already covered that the old man is corrupt, born from deception, and therefore by default, we were all born a rebel.
So, let’s look at the solution for the problem of the old self, since it is a universal problem which each and every one of us faces. First, let’s mention the potential solutions that are NOT part of God’s resolve.
We can rule out all the “self” solutions beginning with contemporary psychology which promotes self-realization, self-fulfillment, self-expression, self-improvement, because all these give POWER to SELF, which is the rebel.
Incidentally, we have just passed through a generation which decided that it was wrong to discipline children and to restrain them, assuming that children should be granted freedom and self-expression. Sadly, that generation has learned too late that what it was doing was giving freedom of expression to a rebel: the Brat. (See “How To Raise A Brat” by James Dobson).
Another thing that is not God’s solution is a system of laws. Many people look to the law to deal with the problem of the “old self” but Israel’s failure to whom the law of Moses was given, is a demonstration that law does not achieve the desired end. The reason is not that there’s anything wrong with the law. Law in itself is good as Paul says in Romans 7, but it cannot change the rebel and anything that does not change the rebel is not a permanent solution.
The third thing that is not God’s solution for the old self and this one may surprise you is religion. God does not send the old self to church or to Sunday school, nor arrange for the old self to memorize scriptures and do all sorts of good things that people do in church such as singing, and saying prayers.
Religion is somewhat like a refrigerator. It can temporarily conceal the corruption or slow it down but it cannot ultimately change its course. Let’s take a luscious peach that looks so good and so appetizing and yet, left to itself, it will quickly wither and rot because the process of corruption is already working. Now you can slow down the process of corruption for a little while by putting that peach in the refrigerator. Then it’ll stay fresh looking and attractive much longer but ultimately even in the fridge it’ll wither.
So trying to deal with the old man through religion is like putting the peach in the refrigeration of religion. It will slow down the process of corruption, it may even conceal it for a little while but ultimately it cannot change it.
So there are three things that are not God’s solutions to redeem the old man.
- All of the solutions that start with “self”, such as self realization, self-fulfillment, self-expression, self-improvement, Etc,
- a system of laws
- religion
None of these can change the nature of the old self. They simply cannot change the rebel in the old self.
Jesus said, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:17-19). So there’s only one solution: it must be cut down. It must be done away.
God’s solution is not to try to repair it, patch it up, delay the corruption. It’s simply to get rid of it. Destroy it!!!
But keep hanging in there, there’s good news coming. In our next discussion we will bring out the NEW MAN, which is God’s solution.
TO BE CONTINUED…