Are You Self-Confident or God Confident? - Ask Pastor Tim

"Dear pastor, I've watched
one of your videos

where you taught the importance

of remaining humble

while living the Christian life.

The problem I encounter

is that when I understand

that everything I have is from Christ

and for Christ,

when I accomplish something at my job

which demonstrates my skills, for example,

I kind of gain self-confidence,

which is partially relying on myself.

Can this lead to pride?

Or how much relying on God is enough?

Because certainly, there is an effort

that we have to put in

during our jobs,

and should we even have self-confidence

in some situations?"

You kind of get the feeling.

You have a guy that's asking himself this:

Is it right for me to feel self-confidence

or to have my self-confidence -

even that word: self-confidence.

"The problem I encounter

is that when I understand
that everything I have

is from Christ and for Christ,

when accomplishing something at my job,

which demonstrates my skills,

I find that I basically am
becoming self-confident,

which is partially relying on yourself."

Now again, just because people
say things in these letters

doesn't mean that I accept what they say.

For one thing, self-confidence

is not partially relying on yourself.

It's fully relying on yourself.

That's what self-confidence is.

The second thing I would say is this:

He says "the problem I encounter

is that when I understand

that everything I have is from Christ..."

He still goes on to have
this self-confidence,

which I would say means

he doesn't really understand

that everything is from Christ.

You can say, "I understand it,"

but then the next thing you say shows

that you don't understand it.

And I would say this,

that let's just think
about Scripture here.

Because there are numerous verses.

Let me throw it to you guys.

What are some Scriptures

that basically indicate to us

that it's not of us, it's of the Lord,

no matter what we do?

(from the room) Philippians 4:13.

Tim: Which says?

(from the room) I can do all things

through Christ who empowers me,

strengthens me.

Tim: Right. I can do all things

through Christ who strengthens me.

And what's implied there? The opposite,

which, by the way, Jesus says in John 15.

"Without Me, you can do nothing."

Does that mean I can
do absolutely nothing?

Look, the reality is, without the Lord,

you can't do anything.

John the Baptist said something in John 3.

Anybody remember that one?

Kevin, can you quote that?

(unintelligible)

Tim: Say it again.

Kevin: A man can only receive

what is given him from heaven.

Tim: "A person cannot
receive even one thing

unless it's given him from heaven."

I would say this,

what jumped out at me as
I'm thinking about this

is a text found in Romans 1.

Let's turn there to that.

Romans 1.

We know, if we're familiar with Romans

that Romans 1:18 begins to show us

the terrible plight of fallen man.

Somebody begin reading in 1:18.

(from the room)

"For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men

who suppress the truth
in unrighteousness."

Tim: So they're unrighteous.
They're ungodly.

They suppress the truth that
can be known about God.

Keep reading.

(from the room)
"Because what may be known of God

is manifest in them;

for God has shown it to them."

Tim: All men have no excuse.

(incomplete thought)

There is more revelation in this world

than just our Bibles.

There is natural revelation.

God has revealed Himself.

Romans 1 says that God can be known -

certain aspects of God;

certain aspects of His
attributes and His power

can be known by the
things that are created.

But keep reading.

(from the room)

"For since the creation of the world,

His invisible attributes are clearly seen

being understood by
the things that are made,

even His eternal power and Godhead

so that they are without excuse."

Tim: Right. We see enough
of God in the creation

so that every man is without excuse.

Now keep reading.

(from the room)
"Because although they knew God,

they did not glorify Him as God

nor were thankful, but became futile..."

Tim: Okay, stop right there.

You see what happens?

They recognize that there's a God.

This guy recognizes there's a God.

But then they don't give glory to God.

And they don't give Him thanks.

What's amazing is we're hearing

the reasons as to why the wrath of God

is being displayed and poured out.

Why?

Because men seek to suppress God,

and they don't give Him thanks.

You know what happened to Nebuchednezzar

when he said, "Oh, great Babylon,

look what I've done!"

God doesn't take kindly to that.

God's wrath is displayed because men

don't attribute what they have to God.

Listen, the Apostle Paul says this:

I outran all the other disciples.

Do you know what?

If you do well at work,

you don't ignore that,

but you don't look at yourself

and take credit for it.

What Paul said is that

I am a better apostle than all the rest,

but it wasn't me,

it was the grace of God at work in me.

And he says to the Corinthians,

he says why do you boast

as if what you have, you didn't receive?

You see, that's the thing.

On the one hand, we don't want to ignore

what we do well.

Why?

Because then, you're not
giving God due honor.

Look, every good gift,
every perfect gift is from God.

It comes down from above,

from the Father of lights.

He gives.

You don't have a single thing.

Remember Moses?

He said, "Lord, I cannot speak for You.

I am not eloquent."

You remember what God said to him?

God said to him,

"Moses, I make the mouth."

What does He say after that?

Something about seeing,

and what does He say?

Kevin, you got that one down?

Kevin: Not word for word,
but that's basically it.

Tim: Right, but that's the reality.

Do you know what?

If you do well with math

or you do well in computer science

or you do well in whatever this guy does,

the thing isn't to sit there and say,

oh, great Babylon, look what I've done.

Oh, great computer science program!

Look what I did!

Now look,

what you want to feel
is confidence in the Lord.

I'm confident that God has
made me good in this,

and He helps me when I do it.

And He has a way of keeping on

reminding us

because we have a tendency

to self-confidence.

It's like that natural man,

you can say: "Oh, we're new men!"

Yeah, we're new men.

We carry about the flesh.

And there is still a tendency for us

to love independence.

One of the great idols

that God has to break in every one of us

is self-sufficiency when He saves us.

But you can be good at something,

like Paul was good at being an apostle.

You can even say,
"I'm the best" if it's true.

See, you don't want to deny that

because that's what God's doing.

We want to declare God's works.

But you don't want to do
it in a way that's proud.

Proud means you're lifting yourself up.

You want to do it in a way

that you recognize:

I am what I am by the grace of God.

So, anything anybody
want to add to that one?