Definition and Nature
Self-will refers to the determination to act according to one's own desires and inclinations, often in defiance of divine authority or guidance. It is characterized by an insistence on personal autonomy and a rejection of submission to God's will. In the biblical context, self-will is often associated with pride, rebellion, and disobedience.

Biblical References and Teachings
The Bible consistently warns against self-will, emphasizing the importance of submission to God's authority and the dangers of following one's own path. In the Old Testament, self-will is often linked to rebellion against God. For instance, in 1 Samuel 15:23, the prophet Samuel rebukes King Saul, saying, "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and arrogance is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king." Here, self-will is equated with arrogance and rebellion, leading to divine rejection.

In the New Testament, the call to deny oneself is a central theme. Jesus instructs His followers in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." This directive underscores the necessity of surrendering personal desires in favor of God's will. The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in Galatians 5:24, stating, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Consequences of Self-Will
The Bible illustrates the consequences of self-will through various narratives. The account of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 serves as a foundational example. Their decision to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, driven by self-will and the desire to be like God, resulted in the fall of humanity and the introduction of sin into the world.

Another example is found in the account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. The people, driven by self-will, sought to make a name for themselves by building a tower to the heavens. This act of defiance led to their dispersion and the confusion of languages, demonstrating the futility and destructive nature of self-will.

Exhortations to Avoid Self-Will
Scripture provides numerous exhortations to avoid self-will and instead seek God's guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This passage highlights the importance of relying on God's wisdom rather than one's own understanding.

James 4:13-15 further warns against presumptuous planning without regard for God's will: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.' You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.'"

Examples of Submission to God's Will
The Bible also provides positive examples of individuals who submitted to God's will, contrasting with the destructive nature of self-will. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of submission, as seen in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). His obedience unto death serves as the model for all believers.

Similarly, the Apostle Paul exemplifies submission in Acts 21:13-14, when he declares his readiness to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." His willingness to accept God's plan, despite personal cost, underscores the call to forsake self-will in favor of divine purpose.2 Chronicles 30:8
Now be you not stiff necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 75:5
Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
Nave's Topical Index

On the Fall
... But pride and self-will rose up in Adam's heart. ... that he could do what he liked,
and take care of himself; and so he ate the fruit which he was forbidden to eat ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxxvi on the fall.htm

How are Your Ear Connections?
... about not returning evil for evil, and about speaking evil of no man; yet they go
right on doing the things forbidden, just as though ... One reason is self-will. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-nine how are your.htm

Israel in Canaan.
... might such worship be called abomination, and the Israelites be forbidden to hold ...
country round; until at last the Israelites, in their self-will, fancied they ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson v israel in canaan.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... Cast out the beam of self-will! ... 8. But what is properly the meaning of this word,
"Judge not?" What is the judging which is here forbidden? ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 30 upon our lords.htm

Toleration
... in their disobedient self-conceit, to do that which he had forbidden them; and the ...
namely, in our unhappy divisions"which are the fruits of self-will and self ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon xxii toleration.htm

Nevertheless one who Regards Only the Dissolution of the Body is ...
... Now since by a motion of our self-will we contracted a fellowship with evil ... earliest
of mankind were brought into contact with what was forbidden, and thereby ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter viii nevertheless one who.htm

Of the Most Bitter Kind of Scrupulosity Touching Confession. ...
... God than such confessions do, by which she is habituated in self-will, self-judgment ...
Let, therefore, fearful souls that are forbidden the usual ways of curious ...
/.../chapter xi of the most.htm

The New Birth
... from God, Adam sustained in the day, the hour, he ate of the forbidden fruit. ... In
the room of this, he had sunk into pride and self-will, the very image of the ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 45 the new birth.htm

Sermon for Ash Wednesday
... it brings them no profit, because they have not died on it to self-will and other ...
some indulgence from the Lord, now for this, now for that forbidden thing; in ...
/.../x sermon for ash wednesday.htm

Consecration
... Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be
forgotten ... No real joy can be found in the path forbidden by Him who knows what is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 5 consecration.htm

What is the god of self? | GotQuestions.org

What are some modern forms of idolatry? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say that would apply to selfie culture? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus