Pride
Pride goes
before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall—Prov.
16:18.
God hates pride.
It exalts itself
against the wisdom from above while tolerating the folly from below.
Repeatedly the Scriptures emphasize that, Everyone proud in
heart is an abomination to the Lord—Prov.16:5a. Rebellion
against God is the offspring of pride as seen in its first father.
Satan is the author
of pride. His craving for recognition fed his desire to rebel
against God. Satan heart became lifted up within him so that he
said, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will be like the
Most High--Isa. 14:13,14. This was the mission statement of
pride that led to the expulsion of the devil from heaven.
Ever since, men have trod his inglorious path. Several examples are
provided in the Scriptures, all ending in disaster.
Haman’s position as a high government official inflamed his
conceits. He had no regard for God, disdaining those who would not
submit to his inflated ego. When Haman saw that Mordecai did
not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath--Esth.3:5.
He truly was a son of the devil. He craved the honor, which
belonged to God alone, while demanding it from the people of God.
But his folly met with consistent resistance from the true believer,
Mordecai. This infuriated Haman and fuelled his hatred for God’s
people.
Actually, Haman was set in determined opposition against God Himself
by his stubborn insistence to be exalted. But God intervened. And
though Haman had arranged for the execution of humble Mordecai, he
ended up a victim of his own plot.
Acts.12:21—22. Portrays Herod as another arrogant fool. Proudly
outfitted in royal array, he delivered a speech received with a
standing ovation from the people who accorded him the status of a
god. His proud heart welcomed and tolerated this abominable folly.
But
heaven was displeased. Herod’s pleasure and pride was judged as a
competition with God who alone has the right to all glory and
praise. Thus the evidence of pride in Herod’s life attracted a
verdict that culminated in his demise.
Much can be learned from Haman and Herod; we have no reason to be
proud irrespective of our position, age or social status. That we
find ourselves in any physical/spiritual position of attainment is a
reason to be humble, but not to be proud. A man’s pride will
bring him low—Prov.29:23.
Having a position of prominence is no reason to boss people around
or try to dictate how they run their lives. It is rather a reason to
serve them.
A humble man realizes that
he is limited in his understanding. This is not so with the proud.
Yet, no amount of knowledge will exempt us from correction or
learning from others. No one knows it all.
Many choose to travel first-class, even though they could fly on the
same plane at lower costs. It does not strike their hearts that
there is a little soul somewhere crying for a piece of bread that
could have been helped had they not been so proud.
Pastors strut around on the altar in pride pronouncing arrogant
utterances, and then exit the scene in exotic Jeeps while the
shouting, sweating, masses disperse in public transports that could
be described as mobile dustbins.
Men
desire to appear sophisticated by acquiring all manner of titles.
Their pride is exposed when they become offended if they are
referred to otherwise.
It
is self-exaltation that has led to the Sanhedrin-like seating
arrangements in modern churches. Some group of men and women sit at
the altar’s high table with a class of chairs different in quality
than those of the congregation. Members can be allowed to tread on
the bare ground, but the pastor’s shoes must be securely planted in
soft rug, because he is the “Man of God”.
It
does not matter to such proud pastors what the spiritual state of
the members are. Their concern is to Lie on beds of ivory,
stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock. And calves
from the midst of the stall; who sing idly to the sound of stringed
instruments….who drink wine from the bowls, and anoint yourselves
with the best ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of
Joseph. Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the
captives. And those who recline at the banquets shall be removed…The
Lord of hosts says; “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his
palaces. Therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in
it”—Am. 6:4—8.
More need not be said. He who has an hear to hear, let him hear.
All
who were ever used of God had to become emptied of pride.
Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty
in words and deeds—Acts 7:22.
Moses had the best education in Egypt. He lived as a prince and was
financially, socially, and politically secure. He lived one hundred
and twenty years on this earth. His life can be summarized as
follows; He spent the first forty years thinking he was somebody
[Acts 7:23]. He spent the next forty years discovering he was nobody
[Acts 7:30]. The last forty years he passed in humility functioning
as God’s mouthpiece for everybody.
Paul’s experience was similar. Hear him say, If anyone else
thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I far more so;
circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law a Pharisee;
concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the
righteousness which is in the law blameless—Phil. 3:4-6.
With all these credentials, Paul considered himself somebody.
But
in the encounter with Christ on the way to Damascus, he discovered
he was nobody. Listen to him now, But what things were gain
to me, these I have counted as loss for Christ—Phil. 3:7.
Paul ended up as God’s man for everybody. He then could say,
I am a debtor to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to wise and
unwise—Rm. 1:14.
Jesus is the only one who was truly Somebody. And though He was God,
He made Himself a Nobody that He might gain everybody for Himself.
Jesus, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God but made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient
to the point of death, even the death of the cross—Phil.2:6-8.
This is the acceptable pattern before God. Hence, the Bible exhorts,
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus—Phil 2:5.
No
other way is acceptable, for God resists the proud but gives
grace to the humble—1Pt.5:5. If God gives grace to the
humble, the converse is also true. He gives no grace to the proud.
He who has an hear to hear, let him hear.
.
The pride of
your heart deceived you, You say in your heart,
Written by Ade--Peters
http://gospelfromtheheartofafrica.com
Brother Peters near the village of Rotaprr in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
A Bible teacher and Gospel preacher, Temitope Adewole (Peters) desires to help make disciples for the Lord Jesus.