“A Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre” (Titus 1:7).

Self-willed: (Def): (Gr. ) Authades from Auto (self), Hedone (to please): Self pleasing, Arrogant

There is a poison in man that must be expunged from the man of God if he is to be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. That poison is the will of man that is turned inward and only seeks after those things that please, bring pleasure to and satisfy the ego. This is anathema to the nature of Christ and a great grief to the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Peter noted this man in his second Epistle, writing:

“The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment, to be punished. Chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government. Presumptuous are they and self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities” (II Peter 2:10-11).

The self-willed man seeks after his own things and not the things of others. The Apostle Paul was particularly sensitive to this and wrote to the Philippians: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). He particularly praised his son in the faith, Timothy, for his selflessness and care for others. The Apostle wrote thusly:

“I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you so that I may be of good comfort when I know how you are doing. For I have no other man so likeminded, who will naturally care for your welfare. For all seek their own, not the things which belong to Christ” (Philippians 2:19-21).

It is of particular note that the Apostle singled out Timothy as one who displayed the exceptional self-sacrificing nature of Christ. This self-effacing and not self-willed nature of Timothy was such a rare and exceptional quality of character among the ministry, and it astounds us when we read his words, “I have no other so likeminded.”

The Apostle himself displayed this self-sacrificing nature writing to the Corinthians:

“I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (II Corinthians 12:15).

“Spending and being spent” for the sake of others is the very essence of the nature of Christ, who Himself gave His life for us and sought only to do the will of the Father, as He said:

“I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who has sent Me” (John 5:30).

Seeking only the will of the Father and to please Him is the antidote to the poison of the self-willed. This is the nature of the Lamb. This is the nature of the Son. This is the Divine Nature of the Spirit that seeks only one glory and that is the Glory of the Father that in all things He might be glorified.

This attitude was also in the Apostle who wrote to the Church at Corinth:

“For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth, but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he sees me to be, or that he hears of me” (II Corinthians 12:6).

There is a humility of heart that is praiseworthy, that is comely, that is full of the aroma and fragrance of Christ. It is pleasant and splendid in its essence and is a wonder among men, and the bane of the self-willed man is far, far away. Indeed, it has been expunged and exists no more.

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

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