“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
1 Peter 5:5
Pride is man-centered and not focused on God or the things of God. Pride is a sin. It is a deadly sin that will bring us down. It was pride, at the root of the devil’s downfall. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” In James 4:6 the Bible tells us that God is against the proud but gives grace to the humble. There is a lot of wisdom to be found in Proverbs 16 regarding the subject of human pride. In verse 5 the Bible says that everyone who is arrogant and prideful in heart is an abomination to God and he will not go unpunished. Being prideful is an ungodly attitude. The divine Godhead is humble. Jesus Christ humbled himself to take on the form of a man and die on a Roman cross to save His people from their sins. God requires us to be humble and not puffed up because He humbled himself to take on human flesh.
Pride is a form of idolatry. An idol is anything you worship or honour more than God or put before God. Some people worship and honour their nation over God. Now, it is not wrong to love your country. However, if your love for a particular speck of earth is more than your love for the truth of God then you are guilty of pride. The same applies to sports teams, money, and anything else in the world. God’s Word teaches us that if we are to boast then we ought to boast about God. We have nothing to boast about in ourselves, except Christ crucified. All we have and are is due to the grace of God in our lives. We are what we are because of God’s mercy. As believers, we ought to be lowly in heart and humble in spirit.
Thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to be is not a meek and godly character. Sadly, there are many Christian people today who think of themselves as better than everyone else and praise and exalt themselves. Christian people are better off than the lost in terms of eternity, but believers are still sinners. We ought to thank God for His grace in saving us, there but for the grace of God go I. The Bible says that Christ must increase, but we must decrease in John 3:30. If a child of God is living in sin and rebellion against God and there is no correction or rebuke from the Lord that is a very concerning sign. Hebrews 12:6 says, “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” The so-called heroes of the world receive gold medals, trophies, and other accolades of man. We as believers come to the foot of the cross and humbly bow the knee before King Jesus. Many people in the world today are proud of their sins and very open about their sinfulness. The Bible teaches that we ought to be ashamed of our sinfulness and wrongs. The only thing that makes us right with God is the cross, the blood of Christ. We should boast in the Cross of Christ.
Galatians 6:14 says, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Our attitude and prayer should be, “I’m not a perfect person, for there is only one who is. He sits in heaven on the right hand of God and he died to save me from my sins and imperfections.” Paul writes about how the things of the world are dead to him. At salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit, and we are born into a new Kingdom. The things of the earthly kingdom have been crucified to the child of God.
A prideful heart rejects God, His laws, His authority, and His sacrifice for sin. A proud heart says, “I don’t need God.” Psalm 10:4 offers us some wisdom, “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.” Be not like the wicked, have God in your thoughts. Let’s be mindful of godliness, holiness, and righteousness.
Here are some questions to aid you in assessing a prideful heart. Answer these questions truthfully, this is for your own benefit. Evaluate your heart before the Lord. Do you think of yourself as a very spiritual person? Do you think you are more spiritual than other believers? Are you putting time aside for self-examination? Are you transforming your mind daily to Scripture? Do you truly have a contrite heart regarding sin? Are you deeply grieved by sin? How do you present yourself to the world? Do you fight with other believers who think differently on secondary issues? Do you treat people with contempt who are not the same as you? Do you view your church as better than other sound churches? Do you lift men higher than they ought to be?
We ought to rebuke and reprove falsehood. We ought to speak against sin and point people to the truth of the Gospel. However, we ought to do this with the spirit of building people up in the faith and not to be a hindrance to that. It is not wrong or boastful to point out errors if we are showing people from Scripture. If you are convicted by any of the above questions, repent before God. Humble yourself and ask for forgiveness. God does bless the humble in heart and the soul that depends upon Him. Fall at the feet of the Saviour and ask for a meek and humble spirit.
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