³ For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

Supreme pattern of Christ, His example compels all of our behavior. How can we begin to review what He has done, how He sacrificed for us? Most simply put, “even Christ did not please Himself.”

We are told that one of the most basic instincts of humanity is self-preservation. That thinking has a long history, going back to the fall, when the first humans were motivated by self-pleasure. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6). Neither cared about the consequences their selfish choice would have on the other, nor that their selfishness superseded obedience to God’s command. Their choice was purely self-centered. And we have been plagued with the same ever since.

But in Jesus, who is “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Heb 1:3), we are reminded of our true nature as image bearers of God, not to be defined as hopelessly self-centered and self-preserving. The traces of the selfless image of God can be seen in our celebration of the heroic examples of those rare individuals who have thrown themselves on a hand-grenade to save their comrades, or died pushing a child out of the way of an on-coming truck. The fall could not extinguish the image of God completely.

But in Christ we see something more. “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us … while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom 5:7, 8, 10).

What has this all got to do with the conflict Christians experience in the so-called gray areas of life? Everything! The core truth is that our freedom in Christ was given to us, not so that we can do as we please (for that is characteristic of the fallen nature). Nor was it given to us for our own personal enjoyment. Rather God has freed us to enable us to live as Christ lived, and to follow His example. Our actions and choices should not be motivated by our own pleasure, but by the desire to benefit others—even those who most strenuously disagree with our lifestyle choices.

But, you might say, what about my liberty in Christ? Jesus’ answer to us is, “Use your freedom to serve others for their spiritual benefit.” That is the image of God in us. That is freedom well used.

Lord, help me overcome this very strong pull to selfishness.