I Do Not Need a More a Flattering View of Myself - Nor Does Trump


I cannot understand myself—or my deepest needs—apart from God. 

  • My identity must be understood in relation to my creation in God’s image, 
  • the damage caused by sin, and the restoration offered through Christ. 

1. Understanding myself begins with the right question

For reflection: What most strongly defines my identity—my circumstances and achievements, or my relationship with God?

2. Human beings cannot be reduced to biological mechanisms

For reflection: Am I attending to my spiritual life as seriously as I attend to my physical and material needs?

3. Sin involves the spoiling of something originally glorious

For reflection: Can I acknowledge my sin honestly without denying the worth God has given me?

4. My deepest need exceeds self-improvement

For reflection: Am I relying on being respectable, knowledgeable, or religious rather than acknowledging my need for grace?

5. Salvation begins with the Savior seeking the lost

For reflection: Is my confidence grounded in my spiritual performance or in the saving work of Jesus?

6. Christ restores as well as forgives

For reflection: Where should God’s renewing work become more visible in my attitudes, choices, and relationships?

A true understanding of humanity exposes my need, and that need directs me toward God’s saving and restoring work—not merely toward a more flattering view of myself.

My Notes from Martyn Lloyd-Jones chapter "What is Man?" from his book Truth Unchanged, Unchanging

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