twofold aspect: one pertaining to our fellow human beings and the
our lusts, in wholeheartedly devoting ourselves to God and our fellow human beings, and in leading an angelic life amidst the corruptions of the world, Paul, in order to free our minds from all entanglements, redirects our attention to the hope of a blessed eternal life. He urges us to persevere in the struggle, for just as Christ appeared once as our Redeemer, so too will He manifest Himself fully at His final advent, bringing to fruition the salvation He has accomplished. In this manner, Paul dispels the alluring distractions that obscure our path and hinder us from aspiring to heavenly glory. Moreover, he reminds us that we are but pilgrims in this world, journeying towards the heavenly inheritance that awaits us, that we may not falter in our pursuit.
4. Furthermore, we perceive from these words that self-denial has a twofold aspect: one pertaining to our fellow human beings and the other, more notably, to God (sections 8-10). When Scripture instructs us to honor others above ourselves and earnestly strive for their well-being (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3), it commands us to suppress the innate inclinations of our minds. We all, in our blindness, rush towards self-love, each one convinced of their own righteousness and tempted to despise others in comparison. Should God bless us with something commendable, we immediately become prideful, swelling with a sense of self-importance. The multitude of our vices, we diligently conceal from others, while soothingly convincing ourselves that they are insignificant and trivial, sometimes even mistaking them for virtues. When we witness the same qualities in others, even if they surpass our own, we maliciously seek to lower and find fault with them so as not to acknowledge their superiority. Conversely, when it comes to vices, we not only harshly and keenly criticize them but also deliberately magnify them. This breeds an arrogance that compels each person, as if exempt from the common fate, to exalt themselves above their neighbors, proudly and confidently looking down on others or at least regarding them as inferiors. The poor yield to the rich, the plebeian to the noble, the servant to the master, the unlearned to the learned, and yet deep down, everyone clings to their notion of personal superiority. Thus,