Pride: The Most Popular Soul Killing Sin

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Category: Daily Life

Published on Friday, 30 December 2011 16:34

Written by Ryan Hicks

"Pride" is a word thrown around as a term of derision toward people who are full of faith, even though having faith in God's word and not wavering from it is not being "prideful" it is being "submitted." Wavering when it comes to your faith is not being humble, it is being double-minded. We need to be careful that we do not let fear of pride keep us from confidence and full faith in the Lord and His word! "Pride" is also used incorrectly for being "proud" of your work, or taking "pride" in what you do. When we talk about the sin of pride we probably need to fully define what we mean so there is no confusion and no unneeded burden placed upon people. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it as such:

Pride
PRIDE, n.

1. Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.

Esteeming self is the opposite of the gospel message. Jesus calls us to deny self and put others first. This is contrary to the pride that this world operates in where they just consider self first and others only after self is taken care of. The believer, on the other hand, will sacrifice their own good to help another person. They are giving and putting people before them. Self is denied, the flesh crucified, and we operate in the love of God toward our fellow man.

Matthew 16:24-26
24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

If you are not living a life of self-denial and walking in the love of God then you do not have even the basic doctrines of the gospel down and are not His. There are a number of false gospels presented today that prey on the pride in sinners. They tell them all the things they want to hear about material prosperity, blessings, and favor with God without all the requirements of the gospel like faith, self-denial, repentance, love, etc. They may mention Jesus and use Christian terms, but these gospels are far from the truth and are man-centered and not God-centered.

Mark 7:20-23
20  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

It is from an impure heart that pride comes forth. It is not from the cleansed, pure, and holy heart that has been set free from sin through faith in Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:15-17
15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

One of the things in the world is "the pride of life." We see this in the world where they try to be something, be greater than one another, and all kinds of evil. Jesus taught the complete opposite of what the world teaches about how to be great in this life.

Matthew 23:11-12
11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

If you are still wallowing around in the pride of life, still thinking you need to be exalted over others, and still walking in arrogance and hautigness then you do not know the Lord Jesus. You may have mentally assented to Him, but you have not come to know Him who tells you to give up such selfish ambition and follow Him.

James 4:5-8
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud. You must examine your heart and see if you fall in the category of a person resisted by God (the proud) or in the category of those given grace by God (the humble). Humble yourself and submit yourself to God! Do not go another day living for self above all others!

1 Timothy 3:6
6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Through pride one can fall into the condemnation of the devil! Think about that!

Isaiah 57:15-16
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 57:15-16
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

Job 22:26-29
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

God is very merciful to the humble, who will come before Him in full submission. To think that you will come to God for salvation and hold back certain sins that you refuse to give up is the height of pride and arrogance! To actually believe you are going to tell God how He will forgive you and let you continue on in sin is to be utterly self-absorbed and foolish! Not only will God not give you grace, but He will turn His face from you and resist your stubborn refusal to humble yourself and submit to Him.

1 Peter 5:5-7
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We should be clothed in humility, not seeking the best for self, but the best for others. Putting others first with the intent to bless them in the Lord. If you want exaltation, then submit to God. Stop trying to be exalted through your own endeavors. Let the Lord exalt you because you have chosen to humble yourself and submit to Him fully.

It should be noted that the most obvious evidence one is prideful is by their constant, daily sinning against God everyday. Nothing is more clear of a testimony to a prideful and selfish heart than sin. Sin is selfishness. It is putting self above God and above your fellow man. This is why the Lord said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40). This is also the same thought James puts forth in James 2:8, which says, "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well." If you will deny self and put God first you will have to try very hard to sin. If you sin, it is only because you are acting in selfishness and not loving God above all and your neighbor as yourself. Many will claim to hate sin, but the fact that they commit it each day proves the exact opposite is the truth. Be honest with yourself before God, humble yourself, and allow Him to save you from sin and self! Let pride be cleansed from your heart by the blood of Christ and let the love of God be in its place.

Isaiah 66:1-2
1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

James 1:27
27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

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