The Six-fold Woes: Woe # 5 - Self-sufficiency

 

Isa 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

 

Woe to the self-sufficient. The ones who are at that place where they feel they do not need God. No need to call upon Him for help or advice. “I’ll figure this out for myself.” IF (and that’s a mighty big IF) the world believed in such a thing as sin….they would probably be working on a vaccine to combat it.

But the vaccine for all sin was given to us on a hill outside Jerusalem over 2000 years ago when the Son of God “who knew no sin, became sin for us.” (2 Cor 5:21)

And whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16)

The Bible is rife with warnings about self-sufficiency. For instance, Pr 16:25 tells us: “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”

And in Re 3:14-18 we read, "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- 18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

 

Woe to the self-sufficient, for they will spewed out of the mouth of Jesus! They will quite literally be “parted from Jesus.” Mt 7:23 " 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Still one more quick example that also provides the cure. Remember the parable of  the Pharisee and the tax collector? Lu 18:9-14, “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Pharisee thought his good works were sufficient while the tax collector pleaded for the sufficiency of God’s mercy.  

 

One more verse to remind us of our need to rely on God rather than our own high opinion of ourselves: 2Co 3:5 says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,