<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document

Pride Is Dangerous
There is no doubt that pride can cause ruin and all sorts of destruction. The original words that have been translated as pride explain it better than I can. Pride along with haughtiness, arrogance, insolence, rebelliousness are just some of the descriptions associated with the word. Anyone who has pride is usually described by others with one of these words.
Pride presumes to have more authority than is warranted. Disobedience to God is inevitable as the person filled with pride assumes a place for themselves that should be reserved for God. A person filled with pride is their own God, and the Bible makes it clear that a person of pride is doing an intentional sin. That seems strange because we assume for the most part that a person with pride may have never intended to lower the place of God in their life. But the problem is that they did. This should teach us that in some way, form, or fashion every sin is intentional. After all, it is what we choose to do. Nobody forced us to sin; rather, they only gave the opportunity to sin. James 1:14 teaches us that we sin by our own lusts.
We know what pride is and we know what it can do. A person with pride is certainly not going to listen to God. This type of person does what they want to do because they assume the place of God for themselves. We can remember in Proverbs 16:18 that "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling". Those with pride will be destroyed. It usually happens in this life, but certainly when they stand before God and realize they are not God. There will always be someone better, stronger, faster, quicker, and perhaps even better looking than you if not now, then a few years from now. Look at those athletes who claim to be the best or ultimate only to find in a few years someone comes along better than them.
In 2 Chronicles 26:16, it speaks of King Uzziah becoming strong and his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God.... Just a few verses before this we read this about Uzziah: 2 Chronicles 26:5 "And he continued to seek God....and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him". What would motivate a person who found blessings and prosperity from God give that all up? Pride is the answer.
Humility is the opposite of pride and that is what the Bible teaches us to do over and over again. Outside of Jesus, the New Testament speaks a great deal about humbling ourselves before God, Jesus, the Church, our brethren, and even others who are outside of the church. Humility is something that we must have if we are to see heaven.
By Carey Scott

Return to the General Articles page

Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /