We Have A Problem Called Pride Series

The sin of pride comes first, perhaps because it is the sin of Adam and Eve. When Satan was talking to Eve, he told her that the reason God didn’t want them to eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden was because it would make them like God himself. That was the hook. That was the selling point. That is what drew them in.

They could be like God, they were told. They could possess God’s power and knowledge. They could reign with God in the heavens. They could have dominion and control over the whole universe. They could puff out their chests and be proud of the fact that they were so important.

When you think about it, pride deserves its place at the head of the list of the seven deadly sins because it is the precursor of all the rest. Pride convinces us that we are invincible and so don’t need to be worried about the place of sin in our life. If it weren’t for pride, we wouldn’t have to worry about avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, or sloth.

Let me first try to find a definition of what the sin of pride is NOT. Pride can mean self-respect. It can mean satisfaction or elation at one’s achievements.

Those are GOOD things. To have pride in the way one looks, or behaves, or achieves is the beginning of healthy self-esteem. Minority populations in the United States are often encouraged to be proud of who they are; be proud of their heritage; be proud of their accomplishments; be proud of their contributions to the mosaic that is life in this country. I think that is healthy. I still remember the poster I saw when I was a teenager. It was a photo of a little boy, obviously poor. He was standing on a sidewalk with tattered shoes and a t-shirt with a hole in it. The caption read “God made me. And God don’t make junk.” Pride and self-esteem are good things. This kind of pride is not a sin.

If you remember, King David built a magnificent palace for himself in Jerusalem. In his prayers, he told God that it wasn’t right that he lived in a great home, but there was no Temple for the almighty. God, if you remember the story, told him that it would be his son, Solomon, who would build the Temple.

Years later, after the Temple had been completed, Solomon assembled all of the priests, heads of tribes, and leaders of Israel. They stood in front of the Temple and dedicated it to God’s worship. Do you think that Solomon was proud of his accomplishment? Do you think that he was proud of the finished product? Do you think that he was proud of this lasting symbol of God’s power?

You bet he was proud. But you see, the pride he felt was not for himself. It was for God. He was proud that God would be worshipped in a manner fitting God’s glory. Solomon spoke to his people and said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David (I Kings 8:15). This kind of pride is not a sin.

But what kind of pride is a sin? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Rome and told them this. By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (Romans 12:3).