Of the students in the ten leading industrialized nations, American high-school students scored either ninth or tenth in every academic category. But in the category of self-esteem, they came in first. In other words, our culture is very good at teaching our kids to say, “I’m okay. I’m somebody. I’m proud.”

In self-love under Christian auspices, Christ is not explicitly denied, just effectively displaced. This is the subtle deception of narcissism, the excessive love of self.

The Greek word translated “boasters” is alazon, which speaks of a claim made by a quack promising something but unable to deliver that which was promised.

I believe nothing identifies us more clearly as those who have fallen into unnatural affection than the sad statistics relating to abortion. We’re horrified when we read that the Canaanites placed their babies on the incandescent arms of idols. How can this be? we wonder. And yet we burn our babies with saline solutions in the wombs of mothers—a practice even more horrific, a practice that goes against every natural instinct to protect one’s offspring.

Laansma captures the effect through his comment that what can be “a source of deep discouragement for the servant of the Lord—difficult times—should be a cause of deepened resolve and, indeed, hope since this is precisely what the Lord has told us to expect.”193

Oden offers a contemporary analogy in those who are “deliberately unholy and still go to church, covetous and still say morning prayers, blasphemers and still repeat perfectly the Apostles’ Creed; they may be treacherous and still remain on the church board, haters of good and still give lip service to God.