“And especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries”
self-willed
“Self-willed” people are stubborn, contumacious and presumptuous. They are self-pleasing. They delight in themselves. They are dominated by self-interest and do not take others into consideration. They arrogantly assert their own will over others. They so overvalue their own opinion that they do not consider any other opinion. This is arrogance of self-will. They think that they are so much better than anyone else that they look down on others. This implies that they are better than others.
This self-will is in reference to God–“I know better than God.”
Principle:
Self-will places itself sovereign over God’s will.
Application:
All Christians have a titanic tug of war between their divine and human natures. The human nature, however, dominates non-Christians. They do what they please without any restraint except the restraint of the mores of their society. If society can stretch its conscience like a rubber tape measure then individuals can justify any action they want. Christians cannot do this because they have no confidence in the flesh.
“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…” (Philippians 3:3).”For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18).
The “flesh” has areas of strength whereby it produces acts of religion and morality, but is still raw flesh. God never uses the flesh, converts the flesh, refines the flesh or educates the flesh. He bypasses the flesh.
Religion makes the flesh respectable and passes it off as a substitute for the fruit of the Spirit. The Devil has a thriving business in the area of religion. His emphasis is not to down brothels and bars, but to hold false religion as supreme. He focuses his attention on launching religions.
Religion is his ace trump. If he can deceive by religion, he will lead many astray. He loves nice, cultured, educated, religious people who reject the blood of the cross as the only way of salvation. Religion is the substitute for the real thing.
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