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Like winter snow that settles widely over everything under the clouds that dispense it, so the pride of man is pervasive throughout the land in these last days as Scripture has foretold (2 Timothy 3:1-4). It is in the White House, the halls of Congress and the boardrooms of multinational corporations; it is on Wall Street, Main Street, your street and mine. Looking to themselves in all self-sufficiency, men especially truly believe that they do not need God. In word and deed they cry out, "I got this! "They contend God is for the religious nut cases and the weak who lack the personal strength to handle their own business. This is raw pride.
The first order of definition Webster´s Dictionary offers for pride is "proper respect for one´s own dignity and worth." This suggests that men at any given moment are able to exercise such propriety. However, because of our sin natures we more often than not wind up excessively esteeming ourselves, abilities and accomplishments, Webster´s fourth layer of definition for pride. It is at this point that men get in trouble with their Creator by displaying attitudes and conduct He condemns, not seeking Him in particular (Psalm 10:1-4).
Pride before the Lord is foolish, sin, dangerous and eventually without repentance, deadly! Pride comes straight from the heart of Satan who literally and insanely believes himself to be a usurping contender for a throne equal to that of God. For such arrogant pride he has been consigned a place in Hell when his time comes very soon (Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 20:1-3)! His signature fallen attitude of pride is manifest in the garden temptation of Eve where he deceives her into deciding to act independently and in self-sufficiency apart from God´s commandment (Genesis 3:1-6).
The apostle John alludes to Eve´s (and all of her sinful progeny´s) satanically inspired lust and pride filled rationalization to sin in 1 John 2:16. He identifies such attitudes as not of God the Father, but "of the world;" a world system initiated and controlled by Satan. Satan´s world system is okay with pride because he is! And due to our fallen, sin natures, pride in the likeness of Satan flows effortlessly and endlessly from humanity.
It is pride filled hearts that refuse to acknowledge God in spite of the over abundant evidence seen in the universe, earth and human existence itself (Romans 1:18-27). The Bible teaches it is only the fool that says, "there is no God," (Psalm 14:1a, NKJV)! It is pride filled hearts that take pleasure in and boast of their accomplishments and achievements independent of God. There is nothing we humans possess in knowledge or abilities that have not come to us by way of our Creator (Job 35:9-12; Psalm 94:8-10; Isaiah 48:17). Therefore, the boasting and self-exaltation of men is evil since all of the glory for their accomplishments and achievements belong to God (Psalm 44:4-8, 86:8-9; Revelation 4:9-11)!
It is pride filled hearts that cause men to think more highly of themselves than they should before God given the fact we are sinners (Psalm 5:4-6). While we may impress each other, God is not impressed with fallen man (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 14:1b-3; Matthew 19: 16-17; Romans 1:28-32). With the best of intentions we cannot even deliver ourselves from sin or its consequences (Romans 7:14-24)! God is the One who has reached down to save us through the cross of Jesus and alone justifies those that believe (Romans 3:20-26).
Therefore, even for the "saved man" as the apostle Paul writes, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded," (Romans 3:27a, NKJV). For God saves men by grace through faith having nothing to do with our efforts, it is His gift "lest anyone should boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9). As it is written, "Thus says the Lord:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man
glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let
him who glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows Me,
that I am the Lord…"
Jeremiah 9:23-24, NKJV
The "I" in pride clearly sets forth the problem it presents before God. Pride is selfish, self-sufficient, self-exalting and self-deluding. The delusion is that somehow God accepts such thinking and attitudes when in fact, His Word declares that He "resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble," (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6, NKJV). And again, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall," (Proverbs 16:18, NKJV). Thus, if you will be proud men beware. The living God fights against you and unless you repent, will eternally destroy you with Satan, your father!
As my grandmother Eunice Campbell used to tell me, "humble is the way" and Scripture bears her out (Micah 6:8). As men of the world, we are taught humility and meekness is weakness. But God teaches that He looks favorably upon, blesses and even exalts the humble (Psalm 18:27; Proverbs 16:19; Matthew 23:11-12). What does it really mean to be humble in the sight of God our Maker?
It means to be a man as was the Lord Jesus Christ who was submissive to and dependent upon God the Father. He sought the glory of His Father over His own. He had a servant´s heart to serve others though He is the King of glory! Finally, He was "strength under control." With a word He could have destroyed His tormentors on the way to and at the cross, but instead forgave them (Luke 23:33-34). For His humility, God exalted Him and will also the men who follow Him (Philippians 2:5-11)!
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