Paul said that he did not seek his own profit, but the profit of the many that they may be saved, and then asked us to follow His example, as He was following Christ's ( Read 1 Cor.10:33 and 11:1 together).

It is possible for us to follow Jesus in certain specific areas, such as overcoming lusting, anger, bitterness, love of money etc., and yet not hit the root of sin in the flesh. Lucifer and Adam sinned - not by committing adultery or murder, or by backbiting or gossiping, or by lusting with their eyes. They both sinned by seeking their own profit and gain. This is the root of all sin - seeking our own.

Only when the axe is laid to this evil root, will the fundamental direction of our lives be altered. Until then, we can have victory in so many areas and still be seeking our own gain and profit and honour. This is why even many of those who preach victory over sin end up as Pharisees.

But those who are serious about finishing with seeking their own, will find, like Paul, that they begin to seek "the profit of the many that they may be saved" ( 1 Cor.10:33). Paul speaks in the previous verse ( 1 Cor.10:32) of three categories of people "Jews, Gentiles and the church " - that is, those under the old Covenant, those under no covenant and those under the new covenant. He longed that they all might be saved. We have the same three categories of people around us today - believers who don't have victory over sin (old covenant), unbelievers (no covenant) and disciples of Jesus who are living in victory (new covenant). Towards all these three groups of people, our attitude must be: " I don't seek my own profit, but their profit, so that they might be saved from all the sin that dwells in their flesh." This was the attitude of Jesus Himself, when He came from heaven.

It is only when believers have this attitude: "I do not seek my own profit, but the profit of the many that they might be saved " - that they will be able to build the church as the Body of Christ. Otherwise even their sharing of profound subjects in the meetings will only be for their own honour.

Jesus never sought His own. He always sought His Father's glory. This alone is true spirituality - and nothing less than this. The ultimate purpose for which a person is living determines whether he is a godly person or a sinner - and not just the little victories that he gets here and there over lust and anger etc. - although these are also important, because they also prove that one is not seeking his own pleasure. As Jesus said, in another context, "These ought you to have done and not leave the other undone."