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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
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