I'm having a strong case of deja vu. How about self pity?

Do you really believe the Holy Spirit would overlook the sin of self-pity and self-centeredness? Just in case you are tempted to think so I am posting several statements which clearly teach otherwise. Please, Tom, read them carefully. You will find Ellen does not support the idea you are suggesting. No one can indulge self-pity while abiding in Jesus. Listen:

Self-pity, that shrank from fellowship with Christ in suffering, prompted Peter's remonstrance, "Pity Thyself, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee." Matthew 16:22, margin. His words expressed the thought and feeling of the Twelve. {Ed 88.3}

Self-pity, which shrank from fellowship with Christ in suffering, prompted Peter's remonstrance. It was to the disciple a bitter lesson, and one which he learned but slowly, that the path of Christ on earth lay through agony and humiliation. But in the heat of the furnace fire he was to learn its lesson. {AA 525.1}

We may do the children and the youth a lifelong good by teaching them to meet bravely these troubles and burdens. While we should give them sympathy, let it never be such as to foster self-pity. What they need is that which stimulates and strengthens rather than weakens. {CG 157.2}

Self-pity is deteriorating to the characters of those who cherish it, and it exerts an influence that spoils the happiness of others. {MM 177.3}

We need to beware of self-pity. Never indulge the feeling that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your efforts are not appreciated, that your work is too difficult. Let the memory of what Christ has endured for us silence every murmuring thought. {MH 476.2}

Your self-pity is an injury to you; you sympathize with yourself, feel that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your work is altogether too hard, and your best efforts are unappreciated. These feelings are the result of a spiritual disease, which can be cured only through faith in Christ. {SD 298.2}

God would have you trust in His love, and be constantly guarding your soul by locking the gate of your thoughts, that they shall not become unmanageable; for when you allow your mind to indulge these thoughts of self-pity, the enemy comes in to suggest the most unkind and unreasonable things in regard to those who would do you good, and only good. {SD 298.3}

Time is short; you have no time to stop and pity yourself; go to work for the Master. Do your duty to the very best of your ability; do not give up to discouragement; walk humbly with God; seek communion with God. Do not let your disappointment make you self-centered, to think of yourself, talk of yourself. {TSB 58.1}

We cannot be self-centered. We are living in the time of special conflict between the powers of light and those of darkness. Go forth; let your light shine; diffuse its rays to all the world. {CH 35.3}

Watch against the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the plans, lest they become self-centered. {AG 332.5}

The soul finds rest only in cherishing meekness and lowliness of heart. The peace of Christ is never found where selfishness reigns. The soul cannot grow in grace when it is self-centered and proud. {1MCP 45.2}

How can we improve these opportunities if our thoughts are centered upon self? He who is self-centered loses countless opportunities for doing that which would have brought blessing to others and to himself. {1SM 86.3}

Go to work in the cause of God, doing good, and the Lord will bless you. Do not become self-centered. Think of someone's soul; think of the self-denying, self-sacrificing life of Jesus. Turn your attention away from yourself to Jesus and His life and His character. {TSB 57.1}

There is work given of God for everyone to do. There are to be no idle ones. Not one is to be selfish and self-centered. It is very easy to become thus, and Satan is constantly working that this selfish spirit shall be manifested by professed Christians. {UL 175.4}

Let every weak, tempest-tossed soul find anchorage in Jesus Christ and not become so self-centered that he can think only of his little disappointments and the interruption of his plans and hopes. {UL 377.4}

Christians will give evidence that they are converted men and women. They will show that they are Bible readers, Bible believers, and they obey every injunction of the Word of God. They will not seek to create sympathy for themselves by speaking in disfavor of wife or husband. They will not become self-centered, but they will have a heart to do others good and to be a blessing to humanity, for this is Christlike. {WM 218.2}

Suppose the person hasn't read all those quotes, especially compiled together as they are in your post?

Rosangela, please bear in mind I am referring to someone who is properly prepared for baptism in accordance with Ellen's counsel.


Here's what she wrote about it:


"Show that true conversion is a change of heart, of thoughts and purposes. Evil habits are to be given up. The sins of evil-speaking, of jealousy, of disobedience, are to be put away. A warfare must be waged against every evil trait of character."

Based on what she wrote about preparing people for baptism and what she wrote about self-pity, do you think the sin of self-pity and self-centeredness would be overlooked, that the person preparing the baptismal candidate for baptism would purposely say nothing about it intending to address it later on after they are baptized? If so, to what purpose?

"Self-pity is deteriorating to the characters of those who cherish it, and it exerts an influence that spoils the happiness of others. {MM 177.3}

Ignorance is not bliss - it's darkness. Not knowing self-pity is sinful and self-serving will protect no one against its deteriorating effects. Self-pity is self-destroying. No one can serve self and serve Jesus. The two are incompatible. The one cancels out the other. This is true whether or not it is known.

"The life spent on self is like the grain that is eaten. It disappears, but there is no increase. A man may gather all he can for self; he may live and think and plan for self; but his life passes away, and he has nothing. The law of self-serving is the law of self-destruction. {DA 624.1}

"Where are the self-denying, self-sacrificing ones? Where are the cross bearers? Self and self-interest have swallowed up high and noble principles. Things of eternal moment bear with no special weight upon the mind. God requires them individually to come up to the point to make an entire surrender. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." You cannot serve self and at the same time be servants of Christ. {2T 128.2}

"The divine Spirit reveals its working on the human heart. When the Holy Spirit operates upon the mind, the human agent will understand the statement made by Christ, "He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you." Subjection to the word of God means the restoration of one's self. Let Christ work by His Holy Spirit, and awaken you as from the dead, and carry your minds along with His. Let Him employ your faculties. He has created your every capability that you may better honor and glorify His name. Consecrate yourself to Him, and all associated with you will see that your energies are inspired of God, that your noblest powers are called into exercise to do God's service. The faculties once used to serve self and advance unworthy principles, once serving as members of unrighteous purposes, will be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ and become one with the will of God. {TM 396.1}

MM do you think a born again person is perfect? (i.e. has no sin, does not sin) I don't mean knowing doing something contrary to he knows is right, but unknown sin. That is, if a person is properly indoctrinated, do you believe such a person, being born again, will have no sin?

Mike, some people are prone to self-pity; others, to greed; others, to impatience; others, to sarcasm; others, to vanity; others, to depression; others, to anxiety; and the list goes. Suppose the person has a sin the poor Bible instructor forgot to talk about?
By the way, I've found a list of sins. There may be other lists.
http://www.downpour.org/images/12443.pdf.../Resources.aspx

Do you think a similar list should be added to the Bible studies?

Here's how Peter described babes in Christ: "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:1-3)

"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1, 2)

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1:5-9)

Here's a list of sins Paul says newborn believers do not commit while walking in the Spirit: "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21)

I believe these descriptions describe believers who have been properly indoctrinated in the way of righteousness and true holiness. There is nothing they are ignorant of, no sin which they might practice ignorantly. They are without spot or blame in the sight of God. But, of course, this is only true of them while they are abiding in Jesus. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not." (1 John 3:6)

The sins listed on the link you posted are common to man and are listed on non-Christian lists as attitudes which must be reined in to experience peace and happiness. People are born with an instinctive knowledge of what is morally right and wrong.

Possessing or being prone to defects and weaknesses is not the problem - not reining them in is. The quotes I posted above make it clear born again believers, while abiding in Jesus, keep their hereditary and cultivated traits of character under the control of a sanctified will and mind. They are victorious and Christlike.

MM, I don't see how the quotes you presented answer my questions. For your convenience, I'll repeat them: