Denying > Flattering

“For he flatters himself in his own eyes, that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.” (Psalm 36:2)

David is saying that when a wicked man learns of his own sins, he “smoothes his sins over.” He excuses his sins way; he justifies them. It’s as if he enjoys them even more! Often in the Book of Proverbs, the immoral woman is described as having flattering lips because she justifies her sins of sexual immorality to the extent that she invites other to join her in her practices. She smoothes them over.

Flattery of oneself is very dangerous. Paul commands us in Romans 12:3, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment …” Someone who flatters is spiritually naïve. He thinks he is further than he really is.

In a sermon entitled, “The Vain Self Flattery of the Sinner,” Jonathan Edwards gives a multiple number of ways men self-flatter.

• Some flatter themselves with a secret hope that there is no such thing as another world. They think they will be “ok” when their life here on earth ends.  

• Some flatter themselves that death is far off. They think they will have time to take life seriously and “get right” with God. They think a deathbed conversion will be sufficient and enough.  

• Some flatter themselves by leading moral and orderly lives and therefore think that they shall not be damned. They think doing good to others is sufficient to get them into heaven. They think their good deeds will pacify God’s anger and justice.  

• Some live in a place where the gospel is powerfully preached and among a religious people, where many have been converted; and they think it will be much easier for them to be saved on that account.    

•  Some sinners flatter themselves that they are already converted. They are deceived about their own salvation.  

This is the wicked man; he smoothes over his own sins. He denies their realities, consequences, and God’s feelings about them.

The modern emphasis on self-esteem has encouraged more self-flattery in our times that generations who follow up will reap what we sowed.

In his book The Roots of Endurance, John Piper writes, “When historians list the character traits of America in the last third of the twentieth century, commitment, constancy, tenacity, endurance, patience, resolve, and perseverance will not be on the list. The list will begin with an all-consuming interest in self-esteem. It will be followed by the subheadings of self-assertiveness, self-enhancement, and self-realization. And if we think that we are not children of our times, let us simply test ourselves to see how we respond when people reject our ideas or spurn our efforts or misconstrue out best intentions.”

Listen carefully, a man must not think highly of himself to be saved. Jesus tells us to “deny ourselves,” (Matt 10, 16; Mark 8, 14; Luke 9) not to flatter ourselves.