Dangers of Pride.
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· 601 viewsPride brings many dangers, but four of them are the most common.
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This week, I have been having my devotionals on the book of Isaiah. Isaiah and Ezekiel are the books that mention the fall of Lucifer. Let’s see what Isaiah wrote:
Read Isa 14:11-15
Isaiah clearly tells us about the devil’s sin: pride! Pride is the root and essence of all sins.
Pride, the first sin, happened when Lucifer attempted to occupy the place and position that belongs only to the Creator.
Four of the main dangers of pride:
It makes you think you are the best.
It makes you think you are the best.
“I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God,” 13a
“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 14
Did you notice the words? “Above” (por encima, sobre) indicates pride.
Latin, gives a synonym of pride, that’s the word “superbia”:
“superbia” (Spa. Soberbia): A desire and ambition of superiority over others, together with a rejection of submission to God.
Pride is the opposite of humility. A proud person wants to be above all, but a humble person does not care being in the lowest position.
Why do you think our Lord Jesus washed the feet of the apostles? Washing the feet of visitors was the job of the slave who was lowest in the scale. He took the lowest position among servants.
Even among the finest Christians’ hearts, pride may take a hold!
Illust. Sermons of Thomas Shepard and his friend.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2310 Conquering His Remaining Pride
Conquering His Remaining Pride
Here is an account of the Founder of Harvard, Thomas Shepard (1605–1649). One midnight, towards the end of his life, Shepard was found lying on his face in his study with a copy of the New England Gazette crushed in his hands. The reason was afterwards known. At the same time when a sermon of Shepard’s was printed in the Gazette, his close friend, Mr. T. H. also had his printed. And it became well-known that the latter was more eloquent and better in English than the former! That midnight’s paper contained an especially beautiful sermon of T. H. And as Shepard tried first not to read it, then turned in prayer to try to read it, he could not, and fell on his face as at Gethsemane.
In a diary under Nov. 10, 1642, Shepard wrote “I kept a private fast to see the full glory of the Gospel—and the conquest of my remaining pride of heart.”
Lucifer was cast out of Heaven to be an example of what happen when pride takes the reins of your heart:
“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.
The Son of God was sent from Heaven to give us an example of the opposite: humility. To His disciples, He said,
“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
God likes excellence in all we do; therefore, let’s “Seek to be the best, but never think you are the best”, because at the moment you think you are, pride has conquered your heart.
Another danger of pride is that because you think you are better, you become rebellious to God and authority. Pride will not let you be submissive.
It does not let you submit to others.
It does not let you submit to others.
“I will sit on the mount of the assembly, in the recesses of the north.” 13b
The north seems to be figure of “the place of command”. Have you noticed a compass or a map? Where is the north? Above!
When the dining tables were only square or rectangular, who would sit at the extreme? Dad! Why? He was the boss, the one in command!
The Word of God commands us to “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ”; that “wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord”; that “every person be in subjection to the governing authorities”; that sheep must “obey their leaders and submit to them But a proud person says, “No! Why?” “I am better than him/her, I know more than him, I have more experience, I have more education...”
Pride is the root of fights between husband and wife, between police and protesters, between teacher and pupil, between leader and those led, between supervisor and supervised. No one wants to submit to authority. “All want to be chiefs, but no one wants to be indian.” (“Todos quieren ser jefes, y nadie quiere ser indio.”) No one wants to play the second fiddle!
Illust. Second fiddle
Just as Lucifer did not want to submit to God, Adam and Eve fell into the same trap: when the devil, the serpent tempted Eve, she said “We can eat from the fruit of all trees, except from this one, the Boss (God) has told us not to eat from it or we will die.”
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Ding! If you are like God, you do not have to obey God!
A third danger of pride is that will not let you accept your faults.
It does not let you accept your faults.
It does not let you accept your faults.
Eve listened to the snake and took her own decision to disobey God; Adam listened to the woman and disobeyed God.
When God confronted them, none of them accepted their fault. They could not say, “I was wrong, I sinned”.
“Adam, have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Could it be that God didn’t know? No! He asked expecting that man would acknowledge his fault! But as it is usual, Adam blame Eve and God:
“The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate.” (Gen 3:12).
Let’s see what the woman says:
“God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
When you are prideful, we blame others for our faults.
The modern version is:
“I did this because because my husband did this...” or vice-versa...
“If the pastor had not said that, you would have not done this...”
Papas! Be humble, accept your fault, and let the other accept his!
If you have the humility to accept and confess your fault, Jesus is ready to forgive you:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
On the other side, if you are prideful:
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
A fourth danger of pride is that...
It does not let you repair your faults.
It does not let you repair your faults.
Even when the Holy Spirit has brought you to conviction about your fault, pride will stop you from making reparations for your faults.
It is pride what makes it difficult to say, “I am sorry, what I did or say was not right. Please, forgive me!”
Pride makes it easy to “play dumb” than to ask for forgiveness!
Pride doesn’t let you ask, “How can I repair the damage of what I did?
Some, in a fit of anger, have left families, have left church, have left ministries, and jobs. Although they accept they were wrong and regret their decision, pride doesn’t let them come back, because “what will people think”, or “how will I look” after all the things I said or did.
Do not let pride drive your actions and thoughts, be humble as an ox, learn from Jesus:
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”