“The Sin of Pride”

Text: “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Prov. 11:2).

Scripture Reading: Daniel 5:17–22

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.

19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.

20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.

22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

-Pray

Introduction

Pride is the first sin that we have any knowledge of.

Through pride the angels fell.

So it was with our first parents, for in the garden the tempter whispered, “Ye shall be as gods” (Gen. 3:5).

The danger of this sin and its destructive results are echoed through the biblical writers.

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy.” (Prov. 8:13)

“Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.” (Ps. 73:6)

“Out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts ... an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21–23)

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

It is our task to search into the subtlety of damaging sins, to expose the manner in which they beset us, and to make ineffective their attack on character’s bastion.

The essence of sin is selfishness.

Pride is the inordinate assertion of self.

Our text is the natural development of pride in our lives.

How conscious we are that (1) “When pride cometh,” (2) “then cometh shame,” (3) “but with the lowly is wisdom.”

In the example of Belshazzar (Dan. 5), we can identify our struggle with pride.

I. When pride cometh.

A. The Latins saw pride as “aiming at that above.”

1. This type of pride is not merely a desire to improve; it is the drive to rule or ruin.

2. We may excel without excessive pride.

...The educated person is wise, recognizes his or her wisdom, and is extremely humbled by it.

...The morally clean young woman refuses bad company and in deep gratitude thanks God for his cleansing.

3. When the charge of “pride” is made, both the accuser and the accused are judged.

4. Scripture says: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6) and “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Cor. 6:17).

B. Pride holds, itself the element of falsehood.

1. It claims merit that is not possessed.

2. It hates those who estimates our true worth.

3. Our false estimate of ourselves is the mark of pride.

“[Love] suffereth long, and is kind; [love] envieth not; [love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Cor. 13:4).

II. Then cometh shame.

There are many kinds of pride: from within that desperately drives its victims to take every advantage; that manifests itself in appearance and possessions.

A. Speech betrays pride.

1. Discussion and such are centered on self.

2. People labor to convince others of their superiority... but transparent vanity makes them a laughingstock.

3. Boastfulness leads to exaggeration and on to falsehood.

Many find it hard to speak the truth about self.

They exaggerate everything that happens to them.

What they have or do is better; and when something bad happens, of course their situation is more tragic.

Soon others say, “You can’t believe a word he [or she] says.”

B. Sources of shameful pride.

1. In the gifts of nature. “Be not wise in thine own eyes.” (Prov. 3:7).

“And he [the Lord] said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

“Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (Prov. 31:30).

2. In the gifts of fortune. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and forget not all his benefits” (Ps. 103:2).

“Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him” (Deut. 32:15).

“Beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

3. In the spiritual gifts. “Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?” (2 Cor. 10:7).

“But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17).

“I tell you, this man [a publican] 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” (Luke 18:14).

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves” (Eph. 2:8).

III. With the lowly is wisdom.

Pride, even in the spiritual realm, makes progress impossible.

When our lives are full of the sense of personal merit, there is no room for love.

Throughout the biblical account and especially in the life of Jesus, we are reminded that true greatness consists of service.

A. God removed pride from his kings.

1. Saul said at the time of his selection, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Sam. 9:21 NIV).

2. The Lord said to Samuel in the selecting of David, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; ... for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

3. Solomon prayed when selected, “O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king ... and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in” (1 Kings 3:7).

B. The role of Savior was one of humility. “He is despised and rejected of men ... he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3).

“He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2).

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29).

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9).

Conclusion

The sin of pride has its cure in the encounter with Christ.

someone once said...”One cannot kneel with the animals in Bethlehem or sit with the publicans in Jerusalem or dine with the fishermen of Galilee and retain pride.

Certainly it is difficult to stand beside a cross and glory in anything within ourselves.”

God forbid that we should glory ...save in that cross.

*PRAY