Have you ever witnessed an event where someone thought too highly of themselves, and as a result it cost them in some way? I have seen many sports teams be the absolute best in their league all season long, yet in the playoffs they completely crumble and look entirely disoriented and lose to a team that they should have easily beaten. I think a large reason why this might happen is simply a matter of pride. They feel like they are better than everyone else and because of it they “look down” on others as though they are so weak and nothing, that it makes them not try as hard, and that is their downfall.
Pride certainly is a very dangerous thing, and it is a thing that God hates.
Proverbs 16:5, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand he shall not be unpunished.”
Pride is defined as “an inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority; boastful. The opposite is humility.
The Bible warns repeatedly throughout both the Old and New Testaments about the sin of pride. Pride in a person causes them to refuse to admit fault or sin, and it will cause a person to feel that they are better than others.
Galatians 6:3, “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
The simple truth is that no one is better than anyone else. We all are sinners in need of forgiveness and salvation. We all need to admit our sins to be forgiven. Proud people try to exalt themselves over others. They say, “I’m better than you, you’re a terrible person.” The truth is that we have all sinned. We are all sinners.
Instead of pride, we need to be filled with humility. Someone who is filled with humility will realize what they are: poor, wretched sinners whose only hope is to come to Christ for forgiveness. God will raise up the humble and lowly, but resist and bring low those who are filled with the sin of pride.
Proverbs 11:2, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.’’
Proverbs 29:23, “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
In Luke 18 Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a publican, and it illustrates for us the danger of pride. In this passage, the Pharisee’s prayer was filled with pride, feeling like he was such a great person. He felt that he was perfect and didn’t need God’s forgiveness. He even went so far as to specifically target the publican by lifting himself up in his prayers.
Meanwhile, the publican wouldn’t even look up to heaven, ashamed of his sin. He knew that he was a sinner. He knew that he needed forgiveness. He didn’t exalt himself in pride over others, he simply said, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Jesus taught that this man was justified, rather than the Pharisee, because he recognized what he truly was. A sinner. A sinner in need of forgiveness and mercy.
James 4:6, “…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
Proverbs 26:12, “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”
Phillipians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
So instead of pride, we need to be humble. Humble is “not proud or arrogant; having a feeling of insignificance, or inferiority; low in rank or importance; lowly.”
God gives grace and raises up those who are humble.
1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
Luke 14:11, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Always remember that God hates sin, and He hates pride, and in order to become pleasing to Him we need to completely remove pride out of our lives and accept the fact that we need to be saved, and we can’t do it on our own. We must become humble in front of Christ and beg for mercy and forgiveness, and say, Be merciful to me, a sinner.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 