Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Normally when I think about a wood stove, I think about cold winter nights, and heating up some oil to make some fresh popcorn. But in the latter part of the 18th century, two brothers used a wood stove for a completely different reason. They wanted to create a vehicle that would fly into the sky. They were inventors, but like Thomas Edison, inventing something requires perseverance through both failures and successes. By demonstrating with a light paper bag, they recognized that when it was filled with hot smoke, it would naturally rise into the air. They began by creating models using paper bags, and cloth. In 1782 the Montgolfier brothers created a model, which rose to a height of 75 ft. Their success caused them to make a much larger one which lifted off to 600 ft above the Earth. They eventually went on to build the first hot air balloon, which was powered by an iron stove that burnt straw and wool. One of their balloons reached high into the sky, climbing to 6,000 ft.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like a hot air will cause a balloon to rise into the sky, pride can do the same thing. It can elevate someone high above God and others. It causes them to become so lofty, that they look down upon others. Pride can cause someone to become so arrogant, that they refuse to confess faults. Pride is very dangerous, because the higher they climb, the further they are gonna fall.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
What is pride? Pride is an over-inflated opinion of one’s own ability and worth. It’s an inordinate feeling of superiority and being better than others in talents, beauty, wealth, etc. Pride causes someone to become pretentious. In this state they attempt to impress people by claiming their own importance above others, especially when exaggerated and undeserved. I’ve always called it the…” I’m better than you syndrome.” This is the way the proud Pharisee felt towards others. He was so lifted up by his own pride and self-righteousness that he was oblivious of his own sinful condition.
Luke 18:9-14 ⁹ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹² I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Pharisee was so filled with pride that he refused to recognize his own faults. He wouldn’t accept the fact that he was a sinner like the rest of us. We can never truly repent of sin and become new and obedient creatures towards Christ until we first accept the fact that we are sinners. In order to move on to perfection, in order to go and sin no more, in order to become overcomers of the carnal nature, we must humbly accept our faults and our shortcomings. Pride is a foothold of the devil because he doesn’t want to admit fault. The devil cannot say I’m sorry, but will usurp over others, exalting himself in his own self-righteousness. Let me explain this fact to you today. Scriptures are clear that none of us are righteous, and we have all come short of the glory of God, and unless people repent and accept the truth, they will perish.
Romans 3:9-12 ⁹ What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalms 14:1……They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Ultimately in the Christian Life we want to move on until perfection. We want to become pleasing unto God which means obedience and doing His will. Before that ever comes to pass in our lives, you need to come to grips with what you are so that you can change. Paul completely renounced pride and self-righteousness in his own life.
Philippians 3:4-9 ⁴ Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
⁵ Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. ⁷ But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, ⁹ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
It is pride that causes a person to miss out on God’s forgiveness. Pride is a precursor to destruction.
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
Proverbs 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.”
Some people will celebrate with laughter and joy, while the truth is they should be weeping. Because of their willful impenitence, God will punish them.
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.”
God grants grace to those who are humble in His presence.
James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
To find forgiveness in the sight of God and others, it requires humility. Forgiveness is not given to everybody, it is given to those who are humble. Pride will refuse to apologize, and is the trap of the devil. When we humble ourselves obediently to the will of God, He will lift us up.
1 Peter 5:5-6 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:
Just as they discovered hot air would rise, pride has been doing the same thing in people’s lives for thousands of years. It causes impenitence, and a refusal to repent and to reconcile with others. Pride is extremely dangerous, because the higher you go, the further you are gonna fall. This is a work of God, and the punishment for those who are filled up with,….
……Hot Air
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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