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As we stated in a previous blog post, one way of dealing with narcissists is to fact check everything.
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The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him. Proverbs 18:17
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The ultimate fact-check will come on the day of judgment. Jesus said
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“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will know them by their fruits …“…Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:15-16, 21
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While this could apply to anyone trying to get into heaven through their “good deeds” (instead of through true repentance and faith in Christ), I can envision narcissists in particular trying to talk their way into heaven through an inflated opinion of what they did on Earth – trying to pass it off as an act of faith with good motives.
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We know why someone would try to do this – they’re desperate to get into heaven to avoid God’s judgement. But why would they think they can get away with this? One possibility is that they have an inflated view of what they accomplished. As Proverbs says,
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Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely. Proverbs 25:14
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The other possibility is that they actually did what might be seen as good works by an outside observer, but did it out of self-centered motives and not from a heart of love. 1st Corinthians 13 says even if you do good works, if they’re not done from the right heart they are of no profit in the end.
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If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. I Corinthians 13:2-3
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Jesus said the same thing.
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“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. Matthew 6:1-2
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The hypocrites Jesus refers to in Matthew 6 are the Pharisees Jesus directly speaks to in Matthew 23.
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Claiming good works as the justification to get into heaven will be the narcissist’s typical but final move. Jesus, in the ultimate fact-check, will see right through the N’s inflated view of themselves and their false boasting for why they deserve to be in Heaven.
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
“Is this narcissist even a Christian?” is a question frequently asked about an obvious narcissist who claims to be a Christian. The narcissist’s claims may stand in stark contrast to how they treat you and others in private. The answer to this question impacts our understanding of how God will deal with the narcissist, and how we should deal with them.
Jesus alluded to the inconsistency between insolent pride and genuine faith when he asked the narcissists of his day,
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
Readers of this blog frequently find their way here through the search phrase “can a narcissist be a Christian?”. Since this is a topic of particular interest, it might be good to delve into it a little deeper. Please see here for Part 1.
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Jesus alluded to this question when he asked the narcissists* of his day
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44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? (John 5:44)
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The “belief” Jesus referred to must certainly have been deeper than a surface-level belief, since satan and the demons also have belief at some level……
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James 2:19
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
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The demons believe that God, Jesus, and the Spirit exist (God is One), and are well aware of His power and their ultimate judgement at His hands (the reason for their shuddering). But, in their rebellion against God they rejected His right to rule over them.
That is why real, genuine, sincere saving “belief” goes beyond a mental acknowledgement of God and Jesus, all the way to a true inward and outward acknowledgement of His personal Lordship.
One illustrative image would be that of a medieval duke kissing the ring of the king to acknowledge his kingship, or a mob under-boss kissing the ring of the organization head to publicly pay homage. This public acknowledgement is spoken of several times…
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Romans 10:9
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
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1 John 4:15
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
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