Long ago the writer of the Bible Book of Judges made this observation about his generation: “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). The Book of Judges goes on to illustrate this observation. The writer was speaking about the professed people of God, not the “heathen” around them. Furthermore, the people did what was right in their own eyes, not so much because they did not have a king to tell them what to do, but because they had abandoned their God and the teachings of His Word, the Bible.
Someone writing of our own day could write the same sad epithet-people are doing what they want to, what they think is right, not what God wants them to do. The emphasis in our society and even in many Christian circles, is to “do as you feel led,” do “what you think is right,” or do what is “right for you.” The idea of accountability to anyone else or even to God has become abhorrent.
This “do your own thing” philosophy has been adopted by professing Christians, not from the Bible but straight from the ungodly philosophies of the world around them. Self and pleasing self has become a “sacred cow” of this generation. The Bible warns, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
Hundreds of books can be found glorifying the cult of self. These books emphasize self-esteem, feeling right about yourself, loving yourself. They twist the commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” to say that God commands us to love ourselves. Yet this teaching flies in the face of numerous Scriptures which speak of humility and self-abasement and denying self.
Certainly we should not hate ourselves but have right attitudes about ourselves because of what Christ has done or can do for us. However, the statement quoted above states a fact-people do naturally love themselves-rather than commanding us to love ourselves. If we love God as we ought, we will automatically have right attitudes about ourselves without following a cult of self-love. Indeed, the Bible speaks of the cult of self-love in this way: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:2).
Instead of doing what is right in our own eyes, the Bible calls us to do what is right in God’s sight. What God thinks is what matters the most. The Bible calls doing our own will when it conflicts with God’s will “sin.” We determine what is sinful, not by our own opinions but by what God teaches us in the Bible. Sin is the violation of the high standards of God. Sin is refusal to be governed by God’s laws. It is lawlessness and rebellion. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).
The philosophies of self-seeking and doing what we feel is right in our own eyes has led to a breakdown in submission and discipline in our society and even in professing Christian homes and churches. Parents fear to discipline and regiment the lives of their children for fear of ruining their self-images and harming them for life. They cannot see that consistent discipline carried out in love will strengthen and enrich their children’s lives.
The same is true in the church. As self-seeking increases, discipline and order in the church weakens. Leaders fear they will drive people away by attempting to “set in order” the things that are wanting, as Paul commanded Timothy. The carnal-minded and self-centered do sometimes leave the church-that cannot be totally avoided. How much worse it is when, through lack of discipline, each ends up doing what is right in his own eyes.
Jesus came to take away sin and lawlessness. “He was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Let us surrender to the control of Jesus Christ and be faithful in doing what is right in His eyes. Then self will take its rightful place. Only then will what is right in our eyes be right in His eyes.
-by Roger Berry