Flavel’s description of autonomous man is worth pondering:
Man by degeneration has become a most disordered and rebellious creature, contesting with and opposing his Maker as the first cause by self-dependence; as the chief good by self-love; as the highest Lord by self-will; and as the last end by self-seeking. So he is quite disordered,, and all his acts are irregular. His illuminated understanding is clouded with ignorance, his complying will full of rebellion and stubbornness, his subordinate powers casting off the dominion and government of the superior faculties.
Sins like self-dependence, self-love, self-will, and self-seeking do not always asset themselves in notorious ways. By showing how each of these sins is rebellion against the Lordship of the Creator, Flavel strips them of their disguise and enables us to see the sinfulness of sin.
Source: John Flavel, Keeping the Heart (SDG, 1998), 5.