“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
Pride, the first-born son of hell, unclean and vile, is a ringleader and captain among iniquities, daring and God-defying sin. It has nothing lovely in it. Pride exalts it head, and seeks to honor itself; but it is of all things most despised. Pride wins no crown; men never honor it, not even the menial slaves of earth; for all men look down on the proud man, and think him less than themselves. It was pride that cast Lucifer from heaven and it was pride that cost our first parents (Adam and Eve) their place in Paradise. Pride is the first sin to enter a man’s heart and the last to leave. No sin is more offensive to God than the sin of pride.
Do you generally think your way is the right way, the only way, or the best way? Do you look down on those who are less educated, less affluent, less refined, or less successful than yourself? That is Pride.
CONSEQUENCES OF PRIDE
1. PRIDE LEADS TO CALAMITY
“Pride goes before destruction,” says the sage, “and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Proud people spread calamity by overestimating their abilities, setting unrealistic goals, refusing to respect appropriate limits, and pushing themselves too hard. Ambitious pastors lead churches into fiscal disaster, and athletes over train and sustain career-ending injuries. Pride also leads to “spectacularly bad judgments” because proud people pursue their grandiose goals without adequate planning or resources. People convinced of their own brilliance are sure to make stupid mistakes. A successful business person who ignore standard business practices, thinking he’s a financial genius, stands on the precipice of disaster “The wise are cautious and turn away from evil,” says the Bible, “but the fool throws off restraint and is careless” (Proverbs 14:16).
The fall of the proud is often ascribed in the Bible to divine judgment:
• The proud Persian courtier Haman was hung from the very gallows he had built for the execution of Mordecai—a man who had infuriated Haman by refusing to do obeisance (Esther 7:9-10).
• Nebuchadnezzar exulted in his own glory and was rewarded with madness. He did not return to his throne until he “learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to who he will” (Daniel 4:30-33).
• King Sennacherib boasted of his might and defied God—and shortly thereafter was murdered by his sons
(2 Kings 19:1-37).
• Herod was lauded as a god, but he was struck down by an angel “because he had not given glory to God” (Acts 12:20-21).
• The psalmist declared that God had placed the proud on slippery ground: even at the height of their prosperity and earthly security, they are never far from ruin (Psalm 73:4-20).
• A day is coming, said Isaiah, when “the haughty eyes of people shall be brought low, and the pride of everyone will be humbled” (Isaiah 2:11).
2. SELF-CONTEMPT AND SELF- PITY
Although pride is a self-expansive vice, it sometimes plunges people into periods of self-contempt and self-pity. People who think poorly of themselves, of low self-esteem, will often compensate by creating an imaginary self—an “ideal self” thought to possess prized attributes like brilliance, beauty, skill, virtue, or the like. Individuals naturally seek to create an ideal self that they themselves find believable. A plain girl, for example, will be more likely to imagine herself to be an unrecognized genius or a saint than a beauty. Whatever the precise character of the idealized self, its purpose always remains the same: to bolster a fragile self-esteem. However, no matter how firmly a person identifies with her idealized self, reality has a way of spoiling the fantasy.
A “saint” may get caught in a lie. Failure to measure up to the idealized self can sometimes cause a person’s psychological defenses to collapse. This will then swing from grandiosity to self-loathing and self-pity. To recover her self-esteem, the proud person will attempt to excuse her failure by claiming that success was impossible because of some circumstance beyond her control: the failure did not really “count.”. When face-saving excuses portray the self as a victim, pride expresses itself as self-pity. Self-pity usually leads to depression. The depression will tend to persist because it serves a pride-saving strategy that the individual is loath to acknowledge or surrender. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. The prophet Jonah felt sorry for himself when God showed mercy to sinners (Jonah 4:1-3).
3. PRIDE UNDERMINES COMMUNITY
Community consists in people living with one another interdependently and with mutual concern. Individuals in a crowd may share nothing but proximity, but individuals in a community have “the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:25). The proud, however, are too self-absorbed to empathize with other people. They tend to see others, not as independent persons of worth, but as extensions of themselves. Accordingly, they think nothing of asserting their wants against the legitimate needs of family and friends. Conflict ensues. Resentments and recriminations get stirred up on every side. The proud are too competitive to live peaceably with others. By seeking first place, they promote quarrels, resentments, envy, and backbiting. We see this in the church at Corinth. Pride had inspired the Corinthians to form cliques around various leaders; and these cliques competed with one another for control and prestige. The proud show contempt toward those they regard as their inferiors. Jesus unmasked a religious form of this attitude when he aimed a parable at those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt” (Luke 18:9-14).
A person who possesses more wealth, power, social status, physical attractiveness and intelligence than other people may believe these entitle him to special privilege, or that he is exempt from behaving with respect and empathy toward others. It may make him contemptuous of human weakness and indifferent to the needs of others. The proud also chafe under the legitimate authority without which no community can survive. Remember the proud rebellion episode when Aaron and Miriam—the brother and sister of Moses—accused their younger sibling of arrogating too much power to himself. “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they demanded. “Has he not also spoken through us?” (Numbers 12:2). Also, in another episode 250 leaders in Israel rose up to challenge Moses; “All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them,” they said. “So why do you exalt yourself above the assembly of the LORD?” (Numbers 16:3). In both instances, the integrity of the community was threatened, not by the alleged pride of Moses, who was “very humble,” but by the pride of subordinates who resented legitimate authority.
4. PRIDE ALIENATES FROM GOD
Whether consciously or not, the proud are estranged from God. “Pride is self devotion, self-justification, and self-glorying in contempt of God.” This contempt may give rise to open revolt, but not always. It is usually expressed as “aversion” of God. The proud person finds the existence of God “an unwholesome intrusion into his life—uncomfortable, irritating, and hopelessly confining. “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18).
It is the essence of man’s pride to assume that he is self-sufficient and that by his efforts and skills he can take care of himself, order his affairs, do for himself all that has to be done. The serpent in tempting Adam and Eve promised: “You will be as gods.” (Genesis 3:5). Here is the primary temptation, to put ourselves where God should be—at the center of things, to ignore our creatureliness and finiteness as though we were self-made and self-adequate, and assert our independence and sovereignty. This sort of self-assertion is incompatible with a true knowledge of God. The proud are ready to admit theoretically that they are nothing before God, but they “are really imagining how He approves of them and thinks them far better than ordinary people”.
5. PRIDE SPAWNS A PRAYER=LESS LIFE
Once Solomon had completed the Temple, the Lord instructed Israel on the proper way to approach Him in times of judgment. If the heavens withheld rain on account of their sins, or disobedience caused God to send pestilence among His people, then they were to pray toward the Lord’s house. But even before they prayed, turned from their wicked ways, or sought the face of God they needed to first humble themselves (2 Chronicles.7:14). God required the people who were called by His name to humble themselves before they prayed or repented. Humility precedes prayer because there can be no real prayer without humility. Proverbs speaks of the man who brazenly turns his ear from the law, “Even his prayer shall be an abomination” (Proverbs 28:9). The lack of truly humble prayer is the very first sign of pride. It has been said, “God’s power will never fall until we do.” Proud people don’t pray. In fact, the only people that pray are those who need God, and can’t go on without God. Humility is the altar on which God wishes us to offer Him sacrifices.
6. PRIDE BRINGS CONFLICT
Why are there so many splintered relationships, so many broken marriages, and so many church splits? The Scripture gives us the short answer, “Only by pride comes contention” (Proverbs 13:10). Just as pride erects a barrier between us and God, it also builds a wall between us and others. Whereas love seeks to build a bridge, pride seeks to erect a wall. Pride can keep you from apologizing when you’ve been wrong. Pride can cause you to defend yourself. Pride can cause you to look down on others. If you allow it, pride can rob you of the most treasured relationships in life. “He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife” (Proverbs 28:25).
Humbling ourselves is the only way to get the roof off toward God and the walls down toward our fellow man. Once offenses have been committed, whether intentional or unintentional, they must be dealt with. “I was wrong, I am sorry, will you forgive me?” These are healing words that only a humble soul will use. Whenever you find a man willing to humble himself before God and man, you have found a man who will be exalted, because “humility comes before honor.”
7. PRIDE RESULTS IN GOSSIP
“You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the plots of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalms 31:20). Evil speaking, slander, and gossip are the direct result of pride “He that receives a slander carries the devil in his ear and he that commits slander carries the devil on his tongue.” Where Satan doesn’t go personally, he sends a critic. Before a man can look down on another, he must first assume he is better than the person he is speaking against. A proud man is suspicious of everyone else. A humble man is more suspicious of his own heart than anyone one else. The proud heart will detect defects in others before himself. A humble soul sees the evil in his own heart before he sees evil in others.
Gossip is anything you would say about someone that you wouldn’t say if they were standing in front of you. This is character assassination, or making an unfavorable comparison, to exalt one’s own self. Before speaking against a fellow human being, one must first establish himself as a judge. This maligning character can only be explained in terms of pride. The connection between pride and slander is clearly seen in Psalm 101:5, “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.”
8. PRIDE MAKES US BOAST FALSELY
Samson killed a lion with his bare hands and didn’t even tell his parents. Man may be reluctant to acknowledge his wrongs, but most are quick to publicize their accomplishments. “Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness” (Proverbs 20:6). The Bible warns us about thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. No man has a right to inflate a view of himself. He is more likely to instruct others than inquire for himself. A humble Christian wants help from everybody, but the spiritually proud thinks everybody wants his help. The proud man believes he has accomplished what God and others have accomplished only through his life or ministry. He seeks credit for things which he cannot rightly take the credit. Talent, intellect, abilities, health, and life itself are gifts from God, not from a proud prideful man!
May God be praised for his great love towards us, even when we were dead in sin, which led Him to quicken us by His grace. We have been forgiven our great sins; through the precious blood of Christ we have been made clean. Did we deserve it? Does any man who professes to be a Christian say for a single moment that he deserved the ransom paid by Christ, and deserved the pardon of his sin? It would be monstrous blasphemy even to imagine such a thing. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8). God forgave us freely. He had mercy upon us because he would have mercy upon us; not because we could claim anything at his hand.
9. PRIDE BRINGS SHAME
“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2). The Bible tells us there was three factors that contributed to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. “This was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness” (Ezekiel 16:49). I would have you note carefully that pride was the foundation from which homosexuality sprang. “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)”. After his journey through the valley of humiliation Nebuchadnezzar realized, “Those that walk-in pride he is able to abase” (Daniel 4:37). He surely learned the proverb, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2).
10. PRIDE PRECEDES A FALL
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty” (Proverbs 18:12). “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). “ The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11). Uzziah was greatly blessed and marvelously helped, “till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:15-16). He transgressed by entering the temple to offer incense on the altar. When confronted by the priests, Uzziah became furious. While he was holding the censer in his hand God smote him and leprosy rose upon his forehead. He lost the throne and was a leper the rest of his life.
God not only dwells in the High and Holy place. He also dwells with him “that is of a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). The man who sits nearest the dust sits nearest to heaven. It is in the valley humiliation that leads to the mount of transfiguration. He that is low need fear no fall.
Humility is the foundation of all virtue, but pride is the essence of all sin. The world system operates on the basis of pride, for all that is in the world is lust and pride (1 John 2:16). Pride and lust are the root sins from which all other sins spring. Pride is the mother of evil.
HUMILITY
Humility is a qualification for greatness. Do you know how to be little? You are learning to be great. Can you submit? You are learning to rule. An humble person is conscious of his incompetence to do anything right. Those who can do all things without Christ will end in doing nothing! The man who can preach without Divine aid cannot preach at all. The woman who can teach a Bible class without the Holy Spirit cannot teach a Bible class. Human ability without the Grace of God is puffed-up inability! Self-sufficiency is inefficiency. The fullness of self is a double emptiness.
Any man whom God uses for a great purpose will be so emptied out that he will wonder that God uses him in the least degree–and he will be ready to hide his head and long to get out of public notice because he will feel himself to be utterly unworthy of the favor which God manifests towards him. I do not believe that God ever fills a cup which was not empty, or that He ever fills a man’s mouth with His Words while that man has his mouth full of his own words. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God! If you desire that the Holy Spirit should bless you, be purged from your own spirit. The way to rise into God is to sink in your own self. As our Lord Jesus descended into the depths, that He might rise above all things and fill all things, so we, in our imitation of Him, must descend to the uttermost that we may rise to the highest.
A saintly soul was known to pray, “Grant me, O Lord, that I may pass unnoticed through the world!” It seems to me to be one of the highest delights of life for people to permit you to work for God without being interrupted by their praises or censures. To have people forever talking about you, for you and against you is one of the weariness's of mortal life–and yet some people sigh for the attention that others would be glad to be rid of!
Do not let us care about its being known that we have done our part! Let it be done as to God and in God’s sight! And then, as to what our fellow mortals shall say, let us have scant concern, for, if we live on human praise, we shall grow not only proud, but vain, which, if it is not more wicked, is certainly more silly. Serve God and do not wish to have a trumpet blown before you. Never cry with Jehonadab, “Come, see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts.” (2 Kings 10:6). Go on serving God year after year, though you are altogether unknown, feeling it quite sufficient that you have, by the Grace of God, served your generation and honored your Redeemer. This would be a great attainment in our Church life if we could reach to it. Brethren, we need humility, all of us, in our Church life, in the sense of never being rough, haughty, arrogant, hard, domineering, lordly–or, on the other hand–unruly, quarrelsome and unreasonable.
We should endeavor to think very carefully of those who are poor, for fear we should hurt their feelings. And we should be very noticeable of those who are obscure, lest we should seem to despise them. We should never take offense and be most cautious never to cause it even by inadvertence. He that is set as a leader in the Church of God, let him be the person that is most ready to bear blame and least ready to give offense–let him say, “You may think what you please of me, but I shall lay myself out to do you good and to be your servant, for Christ’s sake.” The lower you can stoop, the greater is your honor. In the eyes of wisdom, no piece of furniture in the house of God has greater dignity than the doormat. If you are willing to let others wipe their feet on you, then shall Christ Jesus take pleasure in you, for you are a partaker of His lowly mind.
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” Remember, you cannot do any good unless “the mighty hand of God” is with you! Therefore, be humble and look to His hand for all success. Feel it to be a wonderful thing that the mighty hand of God should ever use you and, therefore, lie very low in that hand, and beneath that hand, for then you may claim the promise that He will exalt you in due time. If you are satisfied, young Brother, to stand in the corner of the street and talk about Jesus Christ to a few rough folk, you shall find hundreds of hearers, by-and-by. If you are willing to be nothing, God will make something of you! The way to the top of the ladder is to begin at the lowest rung.
We should attack pride by cultivating humility. The humble evaluate themselves with “sober judgment” (Romans 12:3). They are sensible and balanced in their judgments because they know that every human being is a mixture of good and bad. For this reason, the humble are able to acknowledge their faults without becoming oppressed by them.
Those that fancy to be too good to be saved should know that salvation is not only for very wicked people—for those who have been to prison, those who have egregiously sinned against the rules of society; Salvation is for everybody. “You must be born-again,” is a necessity for the children of saints as well as for the children of sinners. “You must be washed in the precious blood,” is as true for the very best of fallen humanity as for the very worst. By these stern truths, the axe is laid to the very root of the tree of self-righteousness. The greatest act of humility in the history of the universe was when Jesus Christ stooped to die on the cross of Calvary. Before anyone can get to Heaven, they must kneel at the foot of the cross and acknowledge that they are a sinner, that they have broken the commandments of God and that they need the grace of God in Christ. No one can come proudly to the Savior without being saved.
Let us seek God that He would purify our hearts from pride, and then assuredly if pride is purged from the heart, our life also shall be humble. Make the tree good, and then the fruit shall be good; make the fountain pure, and the stream shall be sweet. May God grant us His grace to keep our hearts in diligence, so that pride may never enter there lest we be haughty in our hearts, and invite wrath into our lives.
“That demon of pride was born with us, and it will not die one hour before us” (Charles Spurgeon). None of us are invisible to this ancient enemy. In fact, pride often finds its most fertile soil inside the church. Christians can be proud of not being proud: As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.
Jesus said, “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). The entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven is gained through your coming in humility.
Pride must die, or nothing of heaven can live in you. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Humility is the royal insignia that marks God’s true people even though it is the saint’s hardest conflict. The first step toward becoming humble is realizing we have a spirit of pride in us. We must bring pride to the foot of the Cross to be washed away by the blood of Jesus. Surveying the wondrous Cross surely makes it easier to pour contempt on all our pride. Even though pride is hated by God, the powerful blood and the name of Jesus can cleanse it away. If pride is the evil of evils, then humility is the virtue of virtues. Humility is a choice, and so is pride.
You cannot do any good unless “the mighty hand of God” is with you! Therefore, be humble and look to His hand for all success.
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6).
WORKS CITED
The Trial of Your Faith: Sermons on 1 & 2 Peter and Jude By Charles Spurgeon
"On Humbling Ourselves Before God" By Charles Spurgeon
"Things God Hates" by Billy Graham
"Pride the Destroyer" by Charles Spurgeon
"Pride goes before Destruction" by Bishop M.A. Lalachan
"Pride" by Evangelist Harold Vaughn
"Pride and Humility" By Charles Spurgeon
"Practical Observation -Exposition on the book of Job " by Joseph Caryl
"Pride" by https://christlifemin.org/category/pride/
"Pride " by C.S. LEWIS
"Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis
"The deadly sin of pride" by Paul Sandis
Several sources from the Internet.
James Dina
Jodina5@gmail.com
28th July 2020
