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Understanding who we are in relationship to God our Creator is one of the greatest challenges of our time.  Does God define us by His creative and redemptive acts?  Or, do we define ourselves by our intuitive sense of self and our feelings about ourselves?  The difference is a crucial one.  Are we defined by God who exists outside of ourselves or are we defined by our own innate sense of self?  The first is objective and definitive and the second is subjective and relative.  The first recognizes God as God and the second recognizes ourselves as god.
The Deification of Self 
Carl Trueman in his book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, pp. 42-50, relates an interesting analysis of human history based on the writings of Philip Rieff, professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania who wrote, The Triumph of the Therapeutic(1966).  Rieff believes that cultures are characterized by what they forbid.  He also believes that culture directs persons outward.  Rieff gives the following analysis of history: (1) political man (Plato, Aristotle)–man’s identity is derived by his participation in the politics of the city; (2) religious man (Middle Ages)–man’s identity is derived from his religious beliefs and convictions; (3) economic man (Age of Karl Marx)–man derives his identity largely from trade, production, and making money.  All three of these are defining man by outward or external forces. And, finally, (4) psychological man(modern era)–man derives his identity from his beliefs and feelings about himself rather than conformity to outward norms and values.  The emphasis is on subjective feelings that are relative to the individual.  This psychological self is the authentic self and must be recognized and respected by others.  Anything that hinders outward expression of his inner feelings and thoughts–that which attempts to challenge or falsify his psychological beliefs about himself and thus to disturb his sense of inner well-being–is by definition harmful and to be rejected.  Traditional institutions must be transformed to conform to the psychological self, not vice versa.  The individual is king.  He can be whoever he wants to be.  He rejects the notion of any external authority controlling him.  External or objective truths are constructs of the powerful designed to intimidate and harm the weak.  Overthrowing them and thus overthrowing the notion that there is a great reality to which we are all accountable, becomes the central purpose. This is the deification of self (DPS)!  While Trueman does not accept all of Rieff’s conclusions, he does see merit in the description of the psychological man as an accurate analysis of the modern self.  Rieff’s psychological man is similar to Charles Taylor’s notion of expressive individualism, –that each of us finds our meaning by giving expression to our own feelings and desires (Trueman, 46).  Once this notion has been embraced by the majority in a given culture, significant social change can be accomplished.  Inherent in the understanding of the psychological man is the philosophy of relativity.  Individuals can create their own reality and reject any objective reality.  This is the reason that a person can affirm, “I am a woman in a man’s body.” In that affirmation, there is a rejection of God’s created order/design involving two genders, male and female (Gen. 1:27, Mark 10:6).  In place of God’s created order, affirmation is now made that there are many, indeed, an infinite number of genders and personal gender is self-determined.
The Denial of Self
In Luke 9:23-27, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (v. 23).  Self-denial is at the heart of discipleship to Jesus Christ.  What is self-denial?  The word means to deny utterly and so to disregard one’s own interest in favor of another’s desires or will.  In self-denial, we deny our personal interests, beliefs, feelings and will in order to accomplish God’s Will.  Not my will but thine be done! (Matt. 26:39).   Notice the objective aspect and external control that we permit God to have over us.  Consequently, God shapes us into the His image and we derive our authenticity and dignity from Him.  There is no dignity or nobility in sinful conduct.  There is dignity and nobility in holiness.  Through the gospel of Jesus Christ we are called to holiness (I Thess. 4:7). We must deny the lusts of the flesh. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Pet. 2:11).  “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Rom. 6:6).  We deny self (selfishness) and live a selfless life.  Love “seeketh not her own” (I Cor. 13:5).  Deification of self is the worst form of narcissism.  It rejects God and God’s will and rebells against God’s control of our lives.  Take up his cross daily refers to facing hardships, suffering, and persecution for His name’s sake.  Faithfulness to Jesus Christ requires self-denial.  Jesus said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35).  In order to obtain eternal life, we must be willing to lose our life (self-denial, submission to God’s Will) and only then will we save it.  We save it by hiding our life in Christ (Col. 3:3).  When we are baptized into Christ, we receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38) and become the children of God (Gal. 3:26,27).  When we become God’s children we name the name of Christ and depart from iniquity (II Tim. 2:19).  Self is no longer king.  God rules in our hearts and righteousness prevails.  Follow me is a phrase that defines the Christian.  A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ.  He/she follows the teachings of Jesus and the perfect example of Jesus.  Paul states, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).  Paul renounced self in order to allow Jesus to live in him.
The deification of self will lead to eternal punishment (II Thess. 1:7-9).  Those who rebel against God will face the wrath of God.  The denial of self creates a pathway to God and to everlasting life.  Self-denial is the antidote to deification of self.