TEXT: Mathew 16:24-26, Luke 9:23-24
There are many enemies of man. Some are small while some others are great. But the greatest enemy of man is MR. I.
Every man is born as a vessel filled with self and corked. That is why no one teaches a child to commit sin, he does it because it is inherent in him.
Satan cannot do anything against a man except he passes through this enemy called MR. I
MR. I is so powerful that he made the first man (Adam) lose his original (spiritual) state and estate (physical).
MR. I has destroyed many lives, broken many homes, scattered many ministries and many dreams.
MR. I is inherent in man because we inherited it from our first parents (Adam and Eve).
It was this man MR. I or SELF that brought ruins and destruction upon the world. It is the cursed self that separates and turn man away from his God. Indeed, MR. I is the root of all sins.
It does not respect age or gender. It has no religious limit or economic or social status barrier. It operates in every man of every age, gender, religion or non religionists, rich or poor, great or small. It has no respect for education. It manifests everywhere whether at home, in the church, in the Ministry, in the market place, shops, on the pulpit, in the prayer room, in the choir or fellowship executive meetings. In political groups and meetings or social gatherings. At school, in the class or hostel, among pears or family members. Wherever it is, whenever (whether day or night) MR. I can easily be recognized.
MR. I manifests in self-will, self-density, self defense, self confidence, self-exaltation etc.
Self-will and self-pleasing is the great sin of man. It is the reason why there is much compromise in the world today.
Our Lord Jesus Christ succinctly described this man in His parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:15 “And some fell on stony ground …..” MR. I is very hard, rigid and tough. He struggles to maintain his shape and form. He is highly self-opinionated, unteachable, he says “I am a principle man” because he finds it difficult he finds it difficult to receive or accept opinion of others.
MR. I is always defensive and argues, always trying to have his way. He fights against being taken for granted, never wants to receive damages.
MR. I finds it difficult to make sacrifice for others except where he would get a return, or be noticed and praised. He loves self praise and seeking personal attention and praises from man. He is very diverse and deceptive. He is highly secretive and too protective of his own things and hates to be corrected.
On many pulpits today, you see MR. I manifesting. Preachers are full of ego, proclaiming themselves more than the MASTER. You hear”I” a hundred times while you hear of the LORD may be only five to ten times from a preaching.
Several collections and donations are encouraged because of MR. I. It is him that is first psyche before collection of offerings and donations are made.
MR. I loves achievements, acquisitions, pleasures, fame and honour. He is behind most church magnificent buildings, acquisition of state of the art cars and personal effects of many “Ministers of the Gospel”. He is behind most projects in Ministries “Personal Jets” etc. self is behind the flaunting of wealth by Ministers whether directly or subtly.
MR. I is behind many testimonies being projected in ministries and churches today whether through print or electronic media. He is the man behind body guards and security details of many Ministers of the Gospel. He is always protective.
MR. I is behind a person, a group or a church making donation in the church or to an orphanage or other organizations and inviting the media to publicise it (Matt. 6:1-8)
MR. I is covetous, wanting to have everything and in a bid to get everything to him, he steals, embezzles, cheats and corners all that are meant for others.
When in an office, say a political office or public office, MR. I would not want to leave and if he must leave, he would rather put someone close to him in the office (if possible his family member) to still protect his interest or surrogate.
When you are ashamed of meeting your mates unprepared MR. I is alive in you. He does not want to be criticized, corrected, embarrassed or disgraced. MR. I does not want any lack, discomfort, mistakes or failure not because of the fear of God but because of himself. He thinks of what will become of his honour and integrity. He wants to succeed in everything because he wants to impress, good public image and praises.
When MR. I enters a gathering, he looks round to compare others outfit with his/her own and if not noticed on time, he must do something for him to be noticed and recognized.
At home, in the neighbourhood or workplace or even in the Church, MR. I finds it difficult to appologise, he is ever right. He must be appeased, applauded and attended to and when you don’t give him attention he gets irritated and offended. He defends himself even when he is wrong and finds it difficult to appologise.
MR. I is behind feelings of shame, fear and insecurity. He is the cause of every strain in relationships. It always insists in its own way and rights. It is revengeful. He finds it difficult to forgive when offended, he has to be severally appealed to before he can consider (Matt. 18:21-35).
There is no true love where self has not been dealt with. In short, behind every sin is MR. I; he tells lies, brags, gives excuses for wrong doing etc. He is indeed the old man. (Gal.5:19-21, Col.3:5-9).
Jesus Christ in most of His teachings emphasizes on this man MR. I because of the danger he poses to our souls. That is why He said, “If any man will come after me, let him (first of all) deny himself…..” (Matt.16:24, Luke 9:23) that is to renounce all self dependence, self interests, self glory, self pursuits, self will, self confidence, self exaltation and all that is self.
The cork of the bottle of your life must be removed and let the man “self” the “MR. I” be poured out. Pour away the self life, so that there can be room for Christ life to fill in you. Many times, when the cork is removed, you see MR. I violently and boisterously coming out, don’t try to save it, let it pour away, so that there can be room for the savior to fill you with His own life.
Who is a Christian? It is not a title holder or a church goer or a miracle worker or preacher or prophet rather a Christian is one whose life has been poured away or lost and filled with Christ’s life thus becoming CHRIST. I AM NOTHING…. That is, he is a man in whom Christ is ALL and I AM NOTHING (Ps. 40:6-9)
When MR. I arrests a man, he puts him under terrible bondage with locks and keys. When he arrested Paul as Saul, he made his life so miserable that he cried out “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:14-25, ps. 56:9).
The Holy Ghost, speaking through the same Paul said in Col: 3:5 “MORTIFY therefore your members (Self, I)….” You must put the self life to death. He said “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31) corroborating with what Jesus Christ taught in Luke 9:23 “Die daily ……” you must dead to SELF daily.
The Lord Jesus went further to say that anyone who desires to follow Him as a disciple must add to self denial “take up his cross daily…………..” (Luke 9:23)
MR. I is the most stubborn of all creatures, every attempt you make to subdue it, and you see it springing up again and again. This is why you cut your hairs and they grow back within a short time, you cut your finger or toe nails and they grow back within a short period. That is why Paul exclaimed “I die daily”.
So how does daily death of self-life possible? He answered this in Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live is the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
To die daily is to be crucified. Treat the MR. I as a criminal daily, whenever he raised his logger head, get him arrested and executed on the cross. This is the reason the Lord Jesus said you “carry your cross daily. Anywhere you go, carry your cross with you, so that at any point in time, MR. I rises up you quickly get him arrested and crucified on the cross. Note that the Master did not say “……………… carry my cross daily …’’ He said “…… let him ….. take up his cross daily ….” Take up you own cross daily to get MR. I crucified thereon. This means at every point you noticed the manifestation of MR. I in you, treat it as a criminal act for which “I” must die. Whether at home or in the church, office, market, neighbourhood, or even on the road, don’t spare him at all, you are already carrying the cross, nail him immediately. Your “………. Taking up your cross …” is not for fun, it is “to execute the judgment that is written against MR. I (Ps. 149:9). The only cross that is expected to be empty is that at Calvary where our Dear Lord was crucified, because He has already resurrected. But mine is expected to be seen daily with SELF hanging on it. And as I am daily crucified, Christ becomes the only life in me. Thus, the making of a Christian is the crucifixion of I, so that I am (reduce to) nothing, all that is left in and of me is Christ.
Will you pray at this time, that MR. I in you will die, so that Christ might take over and live in you?’’