Are You Proud of Your Pride?

© 2022 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! … For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Here we see how Lucifer fell by being lifted up in pride over how great God had made him.  Thus, he sought to take God’s place.  God now warns us about pride’s deadliness.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) 

After creating Adam, God had told Adam not to eat fruit from a particular tree.

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17)

By the time he tempted Adam and Eve to sin, Lucifer had already fallen.  Notice:  fallen Lucifer urged man to follow his own prideful example.  He urged them to disobey God and become gods themselves. 

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Fallen mankind praises pride as virtue.  They exhibit pride in themselves, their work, their accomplishments, and their “virtuous” character.

Succumbing to pride, mankind died spiritually, losing all capability to seek after God.

“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:11-12)

Spiritual death infected all humanity.  Each heart is born dead in sin leaving mankind without desire to seek the true God.  Eventually, dead spirits produce bodily death as well.

Seeking to earn eternal salvation, mankind has proudly invented many religious systems. The presumption that he can do this only provides further evidence of his pride.  Many such systems set themselves up as mediators between God and men.  However, Timothy informed the Christians in Galatia that there is only one possible mediator.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) 

Are you proudly trying to earn your own salvation?  Or have you humbly repented and submitted yourself to Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and only Savior?

 

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