Resources/Articles
Does A Sinner Need Self-Esteem?
The answer is NO! He already has all the self-esteem he could ever want. He is able to think, believe, do, or say whatever he wants. He does not need anyone to encourage or support him. He can do it all by himself. He has already shown that to be true. He is sufficiently capable of indulging in as many immoral, wicked, or ungodly activities as he may desire. He is full of himself. He is totally selfish. He is self-centered. He is up to his neck in self-esteem.
Interestingly enough, the Bible does not have much to say about the low self-esteem of those in sin. Pride or self-exaltation is what most biblical writers emphasize as the thinking of most sinners. One of the three avenues of temptation involves “the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The sinner does what is right in his own eyes, whatever feels good to him. He prefers to do things his way, and has no problem at all with self-esteem. His pride takes care of him, as it did with the prodigal son, who went into a far country. What the proud sinner must consider is “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
It is unnecessary to exalt the pride of someone who is living in sin without any sign of remorse. If a heart has never been humbled by God’s righteousness, there is no sense in talking to him about how wonderful he is, and how much God loves him. That person needs to be humbled and repent. Those who have fallen under the weight of their sin and are bound to its punishment need to gain a proper, spiritual perspective of who they should be. A person who feels like he/she is “the chiefest of sinners” should understand the power of God’s love, grace, and mercy provided through His Son. They need to know joy through obedience and peace through humility. It is easy to tell who wants to be saved and who does not. The person who is selfish feels all hope rests in himself. The person who knows all hope rests upon Jesus will take up his cross and come follow Him (Luke 9:23).
