The Core Myth: "Human Nature Is Inherently Good"
We live in a world that revolves around a single hero: "Me." Scroll through social media or walk down the self-help aisle, and you’ll see the exact same message repeated like a mantra: "Love yourself," "Believe in yourself," and "Put yourself first." While this sounds like positive advice on the surface, it points to a much deeper issue. Long ago, the Apostle Paul issued a prophetic warning that in the "last days," perilous times would come—marked above all by people becoming "lovers of their own selves." How did we get here, and why is this self-centered mindset so dangerous to authentic faith? What Exactly Is "Self"? To understand Paul’s warning, we first need to define the word self . Simply put, it’s you —your mind, heart, will, and conscience. Before Christ: The unredeemed "self" operates as an autonomous agent. It insists on running its own life, acting in rebellion against God. In Christ: A true ...