Isaiah 53:5, which is then quoted in 1 Peter 2:24, is a key verse on healing, but it is often misunderstood and misapplied. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” The word translated “healed” can mean either spiritual or physical healing. However, the contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that it is speaking of spiritual healing. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The verse is talking about sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” in both these verses is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not physically healed.
The Bible does not specifically link physical healing with spiritual healing. Sometimes people are physically healed when they place their faith in Christ, but this is not always the case. Sometimes it is God’s will to heal, but sometimes it is not. The apostle John gives us the proper perspective: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). God still performs miracles. God still heals people. Sickness, disease, pain, and death are still realities in this world. Unless the Lord returns, everyone who is alive today will die, and the vast majority of them (Christians included) will die as the result of a physical problem (disease, sickness, injury). It is not always God’s will to heal us physically.
Ultimately, our full physical healing awaits us in heaven. In heaven, there will be no more pain, sickness, disease, suffering, or death (Revelation 21). We all need to be less preoccupied with our physical condition in this world and a lot more concerned with our spiritual condition (Romans 12:1-2). Then we can focus our hearts on heaven where we will no longer have to deal with physical problems. Revelation 21:4 describes the true healing we should all be longing for: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
What does the Bible say about the advice to “be yourself” and “you do you”?
“Be yourself,” and “You do you.” These are familiar pieces of advice offered today. But for many, the inclination to “be yourself” means choosing sinful expressions, doing whatever you want, and living without regard to the truth of Scripture because “this is who I am.” For the redeemed believer, the admonition to “be yourself” takes on an entirely different substance.
Many insecure people try to be someone they are not. They brag about their accomplishments, education, or associations to impress others. Believers are called to be authentic (see Romans 12:2). It’s okay to let people know we are flawed and still struggling with sin (see Romans 7:14–25). Paul cautions, “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us” (Romans 12:3, NLT). We run the risk of becoming hypocrites, braggarts, and phonies (like the Pharisees) if we pretend to be super Christians (see Matthew 6:5, 16; 23:13–29; 24:51). God wants us to be humble and selfless (Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:3–8). Instead of trying to be someone we are not, we should endeavor to be the person God created us to be.
God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26–27) to become His unique masterpieces (Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 100:3) and to be transformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28–30; Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Our identity as believers is grounded in Jesus Christ. The counsel to “be yourself” as a Christian means living as a dearly loved child of God because that is who we are in Christ (1 John 3:1).
To be yourself, you must first know who you are. The believer has two choices, or two “selves,” to consider: the “old man” and the “new man” in Jesus Christ. You can “be yourself” in your old sinful nature, that is, the natural self. Or you can “be yourself” in Christ and obey the leading of your new, redeemed nature. The old, pre-Christian self traces its lineage all the way back to Adam when we were slaves to sin and destined for death (see Romans 5:12–17; see also Genesis 2:17; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22; Psalm 51:5).
When we live according to the dictates of our old self, we seek to please our sinful nature (Romans 7:18). Paul warns, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21, NLT).
The Holy Spirit enables Christians to be their new selves: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:24–25, NLT). When we are joined to Christ through His death and resurrection, we “become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Only a redeemed child of God can genuinely know what it means to “be yourself” in the way our heavenly Father intended, as the Spirit begins to strip off the old nature with its sinful desires and we “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9–10).
The paradoxical secret to discovering our true selves is not to look inwardly but outwardly, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). As we contemplate His glory, “the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT).
As members of Christ’s body, the Holy Spirit equips us with unique spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:4–7, 11; 1 Corinthians 12:28). We can “be ourselves” by exercising our individual giftings to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Ephesians 4:15–16). The uniqueness of our gifts is meant to be appreciated rather than envied. Not everyone can teach the Word of God or lead worship. Some must serve quietly behind the scenes for the family of God to function correctly. When all the diversified parts join as one, the church operates in strength and unity (1 Corinthians 12:12–30). To “be yourself” as a Christian means understanding you are one part of the whole body of Christ.
The ultimate revelation of who we are in Christ is hinted at in the book of Revelation when the Lord will write His new name upon us (Revelation 2:17; 3:12; 22:4; see also Isaiah 62:2; 65:15). That new name will be the unique expression of ourselves as God’s children to be fully and climatically unveiled when we stand in His presence (see 1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Then we will be our true selves for all eternity.
What does the Bible say about looking down on others?
To look down on others is to adopt a posture of superiority toward them. Those who display this behavior consider themselves to be more valuable than the people around them. Looking down on others is a manifestation of selfish pride, which the Bible is against. Several passages speak against pride, such as Proverbs 16:18, which says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” James goes even further, stating that “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6; cf. Proverbs 3:34 and 1 Peter 5:5).
If God opposes the proud, then He certainly opposes those who look down on others. Sometimes, people look down on others because of their own insecurity and an attempt to find worth in the wrong places. Feelings of inadequacy can drive a person to cover up by saying, “At least I am better than so-and-so.”
Christians can also look down on others in their pursuit of godliness. It is easy to observe someone struggling in an area we have overcome—say, alcohol abuse—and feel a boost of self-righteousness to compensate for our own failures. We might think, “I may not have overcome my anger issues, but at least I’m not like __ who goes home drunk.” The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is a cautionary tale for the self-righteous Christian (Luke 18:9–14).
An excessive level of confidence can also lead someone to look down on others. Confidence itself is not a bad thing. As Christians, we should be confident in God because of what Christ has done for us (2 Corinthians 3:4–5; Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; 10:35; 11:1). We should also excel in our craft and have competence in our area of expertise. However, if we aren’t careful, confidence can cross the line into selfish pride.
Modern culture, with its emphasis on self, provides fertile ground for selfishness, which proves further that worldly values contradict biblical ones. John advises us not to love the world because “everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). Books, movies, and music consistently push the message of “me first” and self-love, even within Christian circles. In her book You’re Not Enough (And That’s Okay), Allie Beth Stuckey refers to this phenomenon as “The Cult of Self Affirmation” and writes,
The Cult of Self-Affirmation is composed of a ubiquitous network of self-help gurus, self-development experts, and even Christian teachers who pervade social media, line the top charts of Amazon and the shelves of Barnes & Noble, and populate many of our pulpits and even the halls of Congress, all working to affirm the supremacy of the self. . . . In the cult, the god is self, “doing you” is the standard of righteousness, and “following your heart” is the way to salvation. (Penguin Random House, 2020, p. 36)
The Bible takes a different approach, restraining us from looking down on others. First, we are recipients of God’s grace, not deserving winners of salvation. We have nothing really to boast about (Ephesians 2:8–9). Our Christian walk and growth depend on God, and we live for His glory. Second, we are called to have an other-centered view, valuing other people above ourselves (Philippians 2:3). The Christian life is one of love, service, and humility toward others (Matthew 20:26–28; Romans 12:10). This message may not be popular today, but it leads to a healthy and flourishing Christian walk.
Narcissism is the term used in psychology to describe a preoccupation with self. It is a Greek term taken from the name of the mythological Narcissus, who fell in love with his own image and was doomed to die because he would not turn away from it. A narcissist is a person who displays a high level of selfishness, vanity, and pride. He sees everything from a “how does this affect me?” perspective. Empathy is impossible for the narcissist because his only perspective is the one centered on self. In psychology, narcissism is seen as a broad spectrum of conditions ranging from normal to pathological.
The Bible says that we are born sinful since the fall (Romans 5:12). This means that we are born with only sinful tendencies and no ability to be “good” or righteous on our own. What we call “human nature” the Bible calls “the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). Part of our sin nature is a total focus on self. This focus, also called “egocentrism,” is how babies see and experience the world. Narcissism is like egocentrism in that the adult still relates to the world like an infant, a perspective that impedes personal growth and relationships.
Psychological theories about narcissism suggest that the narcissistic person uses defense mechanisms to idealize self so that he does not have to face his own mistakes (sin) or flaws (fallen state). The diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder outlines the behavior patterns of a narcissistic person as being haughty, non-empathetic, manipulative, and envious; he also possesses a sense of entitlement and grandiosity. From a biblical perspective, it is clear that these heart conditions are due to pride, which is sin (Proverbs 16:18). The Bible tells us to “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). The narcissist routinely disobeys this command.
Pride is a reason people do not feel they need a savior or forgiveness. Pride tells them they are “good” people or have a “good” heart. Pride also blinds people to their own personal responsibility and accountability for sin. Narcissism (pride) masks sin, whereas the gospel reveals the truth that leads to remorse for sin. Narcissistic traits can be dangerous because, at their worst, they will lead a person to destroy others to satisfy the lust of the flesh (2 Timothy 3:2-8).
The Bible addresses the issues related to narcissism as part of our sinful natural self (Romans 7:5). We are slaves to the flesh until we place our faith in Jesus, who sets the captives free (Romans 7:14-25; John 8:34-36). Believers are then slaves to righteousness as the Holy Spirit begins the transforming work of sanctification in their lives. However, believers must surrender to the Lord and humble themselves in order to have God’s perspective rather than a selfish one (Mark 8:34). The process of sanctification is turning away from self (narcissism) and turning toward Jesus.
All people are narcissists until they either learn how to cover it and get along in the world or until they recognize their own flesh and repent of their sin. The Lord helps people to grow out of narcissism when they receive Jesus as their savior (Romans 3:19-26). The believer is empowered to begin loving others as himself (Mark 12:31).
