“Do you think the Scripture means nothing that says, “The Spirit that God made to live in us wants us for himself alone”? But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble” James 4: 5-6 (New Century Bible).
Pride is the never ending vice of fools. It decays a man from the inside. It is the serpent of kings and the king of serpents. It feeds on mans fallen nature. It is an ugly monster that resists God to the death. It is a merciless wretch that never sleeps and sets itself up above all authority. When it meets a stranger its first reaction is to dominate and control them. Like a serpent it lies in wait for us all; its pace is slow but steady. Like a serpent’s tooth full of venom it has slain its thousands. It is a steep mountain slope that once upon it, it gets harder and harder to get off of it. Tens of thousands have crashed and burned and died trying to make the sharp turn around the abyss below. It has slain kings and clergymen and generals and grunts and politicians and educators and businessmen and athletes and justices and entertainers; and it’s the besetting sin of many Christians.
The sin of pride was the primeval sin of Satan: “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor,” (Ezekiel 28:17.
King Saul had more going for him in life than most of us will ever have. He came from a wealthy family; he was exceedingly handsome, strong and brave. And best of all he had God’s favor all over him; But due to Pride he fell like a rock. Pride made him jealous of all others who seemed to be as gifted as he. Little wonder the epitaph on his tombstone reads, ‘I have played the fool and erred exceedingly,” (I Samuel 26:21). It is written in stone:
“God Resists The Proud…”
Why? Because proud men like Nimrod (the grandson of Noah) resist Him and say in their heart of hearts, I am self-sufficient, all-sufficient. Pride is that contemptible attitude that says I need no one’s help; I can manage very well on my own. It always looks downward and never upward which is the reason it feels so superior to all those around it. It believes only the weak need a god to lean on. I am self-reliant, self-willed, self-governing, self-ruling, self-directed: thank you very much. It is the same attitude that brought about the fall of man in Eden. The serpent said unto the woman, “ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Read Genesis 3:4-6.
This attitude is not by any means new. In the book of Job (the oldest book in the Bible) we read about it; “They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave. Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’” (Job 21:13-15 (New King James Version) It is too blind to see a king, a babe lying in a manger, a savior hanging on a cross for its sins.”
Most of you will remember the Story of Snow White and the jealous queen.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The proud queen, who was used to receiving unconditional affirmation of her beauty, was shocked and enraged when she found out she had been demoted to second place by someone prettier than herself. The rest of the story traces the queen’s plots to get rid of Snow White and reclaim her first-place position of beauty. Pride is as cruel as the grave and wills to crush all that stands in its way of being number one.
I am no admirer of Aldous Huxley, who was known as Darwin’s bulldog; but he did say a few sensible things. Regarding the Lord’s Prayer he said; “The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer (“Thy will be done…”) is repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone’s will be done but their own.”
Aesop in one of his fables tells the story about Two game roosters which were fighting fiercely to be king of the farmyard. One finally gained advantage and the other surrendered. The losing rooster slunk away and hid himself in a quiet corner, while the winner, flying up to a high wall, flapped his wings and crowed of his victory as loud as he could. An Eagle sailing through the air pounced upon the winning rooster and carried him off in his talons. The losing rooster immediately came out of his corner, and he ruled the farmyard from that day forward.
Such are the proud; like sand castles on the shore they are soon carried out the sea washed away and forgotten.
Here in Philippians 2:6-8 is true Humbleness:
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion” (The Message Bible.
Every generation has those who look into the mirror hoping to see that they, not God, are the fairest and wisest and most discerning of all. Whole nations as well as individuals prefer to follow their own way as the best way, their will not God’s will as the more desirable path. They want to place their future and fate in their own hands not God’s hands.
Pride was the motivation that caused Adam and Eve to bite into the forbidden fruit; pride fired the brick and erected the scaffold to build the tower of Babel; pride was the sin which sent Israel into captivity time after time as they mocked the prophets of God and disobeyed them. Pride brought about Samson’s haircut and King Saul’s suicide. Pride became the boast of Peter who foolishly bragged that he would never desert the Lord, though all others might.
Every generation has its proud boasters who think that they are self-sufficient and do not need God. How many empires have boasted before their fall, “we are the fairest of them All!”
History verifies what the Bible says;
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Who is number one in your life; who is the fairest of them all?
Pride like a magnet always points to self! It causes people to compare themselves among themselves and think they are stronger or smarter or richer than some else.
Lean heavily upon Him today! Self –sufficiency or self-righteousness is a mighty flimsy foundation to build your salvation upon? There is only one all-sufficient person to build your life upon and that is Jesus Christ.
Trust His worthiness for your unworthiness, His sinlessness for your sinfulness, His purity for your impurity, His faithfulness for your unfaithfulness, His obedience for your disobedience, His righteousness for your unrighteousness, His glory for your shame, His meekness for your pride, His death for your life.
The seat of pride is in the heart and that is why you must be born again, born from above; have a spiritual change of within. Kneel before Him today without pride and invite Him into your heart.
As Jesus said in Matthew 10:39;
“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
He’s Only A Prayer Away!
Pastor Bob