Dealing with Self: Putting Off the Old Man and Putting On Christ

Deep Dive into Self-Confrontation: A Manual for In-Depth Biblical Discipleship by John C. Broger - Dealing with Self (Part Two)Lesson 10 of John C. Broger's manual on biblical discipleship centers on the crucial need to overcome a sinful preoccupation with self in order to live a life fully committed to Christ. The text emphasizes that instead of harboring self-pity, self-exaltation, or self-belittlement, believers must focus on dying to self by serving others and practicing biblical stewardship.A primary theme is that everything a person possesses, including their physical body, time, material goods, abilities, and spiritual gifts, is graciously given by God. Consequently, individuals are called to act as faithful stewards or managing servants of these divine provisions. Rather than succumbing to sins like envy, covetousness, or greed, believers must utilize their resources and unique spiritual gifts to edify the church body and bring glory to God, completely avoiding the pursuit of personal recognition.To practically defeat self-focus, the manual outlines an extensive plan for transforming a person's thoughts, speech, and daily actions. Believers are instructed to stop comparing themselves to others, eliminate complaining, and replace such behaviors with gracious, thankful, and edifying speech. This transformative process involves confessing sinful thoughts, meditating on scripture, and deliberately planning tangible ways to bless others, particularly those against whom they may have previously sinned. The lesson encourages using tools like the Victory Over Failures Worksheet to consistently monitor these spiritual adjustments.Finally, the text applies these concepts to biblical counseling through a practical case study of a woman named Mary whose husband has abandoned her. This scenario illustrates the four essential pillars of biblical counseling: gathering facts to understand the problem biblically, providing scriptural hope, teaching the individual how to change, and ensuring they actively practice these new, faithful behaviors.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerWorship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730