Good morning and welcome in everybody. 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.
When I was very young, there was a place that I used to go swimming with my friends. But while we were there, we would also do some cliff jumping. I’m not suggesting that any of you try this, but we would slowly climb about 40 ft up the side of a cliff, and then jump feet first into the water below. But our cliff jumping was fairly benign in comparison to the world record dive which was set somewhere in Switzerland at a whopping 192 ft! But can you imagine someone trying to jump off the top of a mountain? Mount Thor apparently has the greatest vertical drop at over 4000 ft, and is located on Baffin Island up in Canada. The west face of this mountain drops straight down, and a little bit outward too, and the gravity will actually pull climbers away from the rock face. Many people have said that attempting to dive into water from that height would be fatal.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Pride is like a 4,000 ft vertical drop, straight down to the bottom, and is caused by a person’s refusal to repent of their sins. The further that you distance yourself from God during your day, the more of the world will become present in your daily life. Beloved, don’t be deceived, because the effects of sin can harden the heart with pride, and without humility, people are headed for disaster.
Proverbs 16:18 (KJB) Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
God hates pride, insomuch that He is going to punish those who are filled up with it, especially those who claim to be Christian.
Proverbs 16:5 (KJB) Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 18:12 (KJB) Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
The evidence of a proud person is somebody who does not seek after God with a sincere heart.
Psalms 10:4 (KJB) The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Psalms 36:11 (KJB) Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
The Apostle James warned the church because they were becoming lifted up in their own pride.
James 4:5-10 (KJB) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The Apostle warned the church not to be conceited.
Romans 12:16 (KJB) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Becoming filled with pride is deadly because in that state you cannot find a place of forgiveness with God. God withholds forgiveness from the arrogant and the impenitent.
1 Peter 5:5-6 (KJB) 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. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Again, God withhold forgiveness from those who are filled up with pride, just as Jesus taught in the following parable. No humility, no forgiveness.
Luke 18:10-14 (KJB) Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
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. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 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. 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.
Pride is very destructive in one’s life because the more that you have of it, the more of a reprobate you will become. Pride will cause you to do things your way rather than God’s way. Because of the lack of humility to seek and to serve God with all of your heart, pride slowly begins to creep in and the heart can be hardened because of the deceitfulness of sin. This is why you must seek after God everyday, because the further you distance yourself from Him, the greater the enmity between you and Him will become. Fear God and seek humility.
Romans 8:7-8 (KJB) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Proverbs 29:23 (KJB) A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Pride is so deceitful that it will actually convince you that what you are doing is right, but the truth is that it is completely outside the will of God. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Make sure that you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, because maintaining a close relationship with Him can prevent you from falling off of a cliff, and all the way to the bottom of,…..
…….Mount Thor
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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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