But Pastor, doesn’t the verse teach that I am to love myself? Doesn’t it say to love your neighbor “as yourself?” Yes it does. So shouldn’t we then teach, as many secularists do that we cannot love others until we learn to first love ourselves? Answer: no. Because everything about the Christian faith is a death to self. 1 Corinthians 13:5, “Love “does not seek its own.” There is nothing supernatural about loving yourself. Jesus Christ did not deny Himself and give up Himself to make us learn to love ourselves more. He died because we already love ourselves too much! We are experts at putting ourselves first. Ephesians 5:29, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.” So this is not a command for self-love. This is an assumption that we already love ourselves (not of which all is evil) and the way we love ourselves already is to be the example of how we are to love others.
Randy Smith

HEDGES

HEDGES

HEDGES

  1. Antiquity of # 1Ch 4:23
  2. Designed for protection # Isa 5:2
  3. Often made of thorns # Mic 7:4
  4. PLACED AROUND 4a) Gardens

    # So 4:12 La 2:6

4b) Vineyards # Mt 21:33 Mr 12:1 5) Difficulty of breaking through # Pr 15:19 6) Danger of breaking through # Ec 10:8 7) Desolation caused by removing # Ps 80:12,13 8) Filled with grasshoppers # Na 3:17 9) Poor travellers sought rest under # Lu 14:23 10) Afforded protection in danger # Jer 49:3 11) Making up gaps in, alluded to # Eze 13:5 22:30 12) ILLUSTRATIVE 12a) Of God’s protection # Job 1:10 12b) Of numerous afflictions # Job 3:23 19:8 12c) Of heavy judgments # La 3:7 Ho 2:6 12d) Of holy ordinances # Isa 5:2 Mt 21:33 12e) Of the way of the slothful # Pr 15:19 12f) (Broken down,) of the taking away of protection # Ps 80:12 Isa 5:5

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