The Sin Of Pride

The Lord has impressed me to deal with a subject today that is very difficult for me personally; and I expect it will be difficult for all of you as well. I say that because we’re going to take a close and honest look at what I believe to be the most wicked part of our human nature. And although it manifests itself in many different ways, we all possess it to some degree. But the really difficult part , is the fact that the more of this particular trait we possess, the harder it is for us to admit that we have a problem with it. And yet, strangely enough, it is incredibly easy for us to recognize and condemn it in others.

Proverbs 6:15-19 gives us a list of seven things the Lord hates. And at the very top of that list is “a proud look” or “haughty eyes....” But it’s not really talking about an “eye” issue; rather, it’s referring to a heart issue. To have “haughty eyes” is to exalt yourself in your own eyes to the degree that you “look down” on others… and oftentimes even on God.

The Bible says the Lord hates a proud heart.. And Proverbs 16:5 puts it even more harshly. It says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”

Pride, in its various forms, is a very dangerous thing. That’s why Scripture contains over 150 passages that express God’s displeasure of and warning against, pride in the human heart. And so, this morning I want us to explore two very important questions: 1. why does God hate pride so much? and 2, what steps can we, as modern-day Christians take in order to purge it from our own hearts?

So first, let’s talk about why God hates pride.

Ezekiel 28:12-17 (this is a prophecy concerning the king of Tyre but it’s also an account of the fall of Lucifer) “ ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.

14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17Your heart became proud(lifted up) on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth....”

Isaiah 14:12-15 (king of Babylon/Lucifer) “How you have fallen from heaven O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”

Unchecked pride is what caused Lucifer to rebel against God in heaven and ultimately led to him being cast down to our, then perfect, planet. Remember, the devil was successful at deceiving a third of the angels in heaven... So he knew full well how to awaken and exploit Eve’s pride to the point where she also rebelled against God by knowingly disobeying a very clear commandment. Keep in mind that Satan tempted her with the promise that the forbidden fruit would enable her to become “like God” knowing good and evil… You see, by knowingly disobeying God, she exalted her own authority above that of God... and pride was at the root of it.

So, I think it’s pretty safe to say that one reason God especially hates pride is because pride is what brought sin and everything that comes with it into existence--I.E: hate, pain, sorrow, sickness, suffering, aging and death. You see, pride has separated God from many of the creatures He created and loves...

And it’s not just that pride opened the door for sin 6,000 years ago; no, the second reason God hates it, and that we should hate it as well, is that it continues to be the mother of nearly every other sin you can think of today. And, each one of those sins—if not repented of and covered by the blood of Christ can separate us eternally from our Creator.