Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
"the love of one's own excellence"
Sin Of Pride - Preoccupation With Self
The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self. It is thus very fitting that the middle letter in the word is "i." Pride is all about "me, myself, and I." So even as the word "pride" is centered upon an "i," the sin itself is also centered upon "I."
Two well know examples:
1) Lucifer's fall, For you have said in your heart: '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 ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Satan's enmity against God began with "I". And so it is with us. If you are preoccupied with yourself, you are suffering from the sin of pride.
Ezekiel 28:17
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty...
We all like our own opinions, but that can cause pride to be puffed up with in us. We even fight to get our opinion heard or agreed with.
Why do we argue? I know... I know... I am right...
pride can led to offense
2) "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."4
Pharisee = Jimmy Swaggart’s notes, a fundamentalist, who claimed to believe all the bible
Publican = Jimmy Swaggart’s notes a tax collector, referred to by Israel as a traitor & there by beyond salvation.
Pharisee - I am not like other men, I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.
How do we look at others.
Other thoughts about pride:
- 2 Kings 14:10
Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
2 Kings 14:9-11 (in Context) 2 Kings 14 (Whole Chapter) - 2 Chronicles 25:19
Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
Meddle - Interfere in or busy oneself unduly with something that is not one’s concern, to touch or handle something without permission.
These men in 2 Kings and 2 Chron. we lifted up in pride.
Pride also causes you to hold on to your hurt
You do not have permission to hold on to your hurt...
We hold on to our pains. We look at others and say our pain is worse.
You have no right to hold on to something that the word of God says to let go of.
But he hurt me... But I was... This happened to me...
Why are you giving your pain more glory than God!!
Women beware the women's lib movement can cause you to not receive what God has for you. I have my rights... I know what I am doing... I am just as good as him... I,I,I...
A lot of divorces can be stopped if the spouses would humble themselves and say they are sorry... or not always have to be right...
Pride can led to deception. (I know the bible...)
We must look to Jesus who humbled himself and died on the Cross for us. We must forgive and not let our hearts be puffed up in Pride.
Pride can cause you not to seek God: Psalms 10:4
| The wicked 7563 in [his] pride 1346 doth persecute 1814 the poor |
Not just the physically poor, prideful people attack people they consider week. Pride causes one believer to believe that they need to be doing what the other believer in front of them is doing, ( they also believe they can do it better)
Be content where you are... God has a plan and purpose for you right where you are. He has called you for a specific task and He has you right where He wants you to be. He will lift you up in due time. If you will just hold fast to God, trust Him and follow him, He will bring you to the place He has for you...
Pride will cause you to stop having faith in what Christ has done for you at Calvary, because you are self sufficient, independent.
Lay aside your ways, your thoughts,... Only way to do that is...
Remember the process of sanctification, believe in the finished work of Christ, then the Holy Spirit will work in your life and then the outflow of that will be right living, right thinking,...
Today is a new day, start here, then tomorrow also is a new day, start here,... and again... do not let yesterdays hurts come over to today’s living.
Look to Christ, Look to what He has done for you at Calvary, let the power of the Holy Spirit work in you and let what God has always wanted for you to come into your life.
Pride can cause a person not to get saved...
Are you putting. “I” on the throne?
Pride is at the very top of the list of things God hates. "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-19).
David Wilkerson:
Christians also recognize pride in others because they may appear to be stuck up, self-centered, ambitious and high-minded. But few Christians would consider themselves proud.
Pride is independence - humility is dependence. Pride is an unwillingness to wait for God to act in His own time and in His own way. Pride rushes in to take matters into its own hands. One of the greatest temptations true Christians face is getting ahead of God. It is acting without a clear mandate from God. It is taking things into our own hands when it appears that God is not working fast enough. It is impatience.
The Cross Represents the death of all my own plans, all my own ideas, my own desires, my own hopes and dreams. It is most of all the absolute death of my own will. This is true humility. Humility is associated only with the Cross. "He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death at the cross. (Philippians 2:7-8). He had told His disciples, "My meat, My fulfillment in life, is to do the will of Him who sent me (John 4:34). He said "I can of mine own self do nothing: As I hear, I judge..." (John 5:30). In other words, I refuse to take matters into my own hands. I wait to hear every direction from my Father!, He who is the Light, absolute intelligence, knowing all things, humbles Himself, makes Himself totally dependent upon the Father in all things. I can't do it on My own" Jesus said.
John wrote, "As He is, so are we in this world ... (1 John 4:17). There is not a true Christian but who can say, "I really want to do His perfect will." But here is where we miss it, we set our hearts on something that we want, something that looks good that sounds logical, but is not God's will. We will fast and pray and intercede for it! Cry a river of tears! Claim it! Bind demons hindering possession of it! Quote Bible! Get others to agree with us! One of the biggest traps to Christians is a good idea which is not God's mind, a good strategy which is not His, a well-conceived plan that is not His. The question is - can your desire survive the Cross? Can you walk away from it and die to it? Can you honestly say, "Lord, maybe it's not the devil stopping me, but You! If it's not Your will it could destroy me. I give it up to the Cross! To death! Do it Your way, Lord."
It is when you go down into the grave of death to all self, all ambition, all self-will, that you hear His voice. Jesus said, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God... All that are in the graves shall hear His voice" (John 5:25,28), This is why thousands of Christians today are getting into trouble hearing still small voices. There is confusion, things are not coming out right, because there has been no dying to self-will. Yes, I believe God does speak to His children. You can hear His true, holy, unmistakable voice, but only after crucifixion of self-will and self-desire. Jesus heard clearly from the Father. So did Paul, Peter, John and Stephen; but only because they were dead to this world. They were consumed with doing His will only.
Examine your heart. Do not be lifted up in Pride. Humble yourself!!!!!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment