IS PRIDE A SIN?
What is Pride? Part 1
According to Funk & Wagnall’s Dictionary, Pride is an “undue sense of one’s own superiority; inordinate self-esteem; arrogance or conceit.” Let’s think about this for a minute. Every one of us has had some form of undue sense of our own superiority above another, at one time or another in our lives. Anyone that says they have not ever been prideful is probably being untruthful.
Today, I would like to present to you what the Holy Bible says about pride and whether or not we should exhibit this part of our natural sinful desires. First, I think we should take a good look at what the Lord says about pride!
Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? (3)
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. (4)
The Lord spoke and His message was point-blank! There is no hidden meaning there! His opinion, of our opinion,of our own self worth-is clear! Yet, we continue to exhibit behavior associated with pride! I am just as guilty as anyone else! I have prayed and
I was so happy that the Lord answered and that it was more than I had asked for that I wanted to go show the world and brag about it!
I caught myself speaking about the Lord to other's, I wanted to scream, “My Daddy’s rich and powerful! Look what he did for me”, to anyone that might listen! I wanted to let others know that God thought I was important enough to listen to and answer my prayers while secretly thinking this made me more important than other people! I was wrong, of course, I was prideful because in my mind this placed me above other people. This was my sin! I should have come humbly and thankful before the Lord, not bragging to others! I should place myself beneath others because the Lord will lift me up.
That my friend’s is Pride!
When we get a new car or new clothes, house, etc. and we brag about it like we are better than someone who does not have these things, then we are bragging about something we are proud of. That is Pride!
When we sense that we are proud of it, we should stop and think about how we are thinking. We should not be proud but we should be grateful, humble and thankful to the Lord for providing for us!
We cannot exhibit this type of pride even if we are excited about it! We can be proud of what the Lord has done for us and witness to others about it but we must do so with a humble spirit. We must be sure that the Lord gets the credits and not us!
I don’t know about you, I get the feeling that the Lord does not want us to exhibit haughty pride! He tells Obadiah, the pride of your heart has deceived you! So, we can gather that Pride is deceptive!
People can be deceived by pride!
Now, we have all experienced the deception of pride at one point or another in our lives.
When we think, in our minds and/or speak out of our mouth with pride it does not usually impress our listener’s. Prideful talk can cause other’s to become jealous or resentful. Does this accomplish anything? Do other people think we are a better person because we can brag about something that we have or have done? No. They miss the message completely and all they are thinking is, “What a braggart!”
I John 2:16-17, The apostle John wrote,
I John 2:16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I John 2:17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
The apostle John clearly identifies lust and pride as things that are not of God but they are material things that the world identifies us with or that we identify ourselves with! He also clearly states that lust and pride are not of the Lord, our father and makes it clear that these things are not lasting. We cannot keep them! However, he clearly states that the person who does the will of God abides forever!
Now in the Old Testament Job was speaking to the Lord during a terrible time in his life, Job answered the Lord and in his answer he made mention of Pride.
Job 40:11-12
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. (11)
Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place (12)
This passage shows us that Job recognized Pride as wicked or sinful. In the book of proverbs we find what is considered to be King Solomon’s work, proverbs and parables. It is dated approximately at 180B.C.
Solomon had prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom and King Solomon was considered one of the wisest men in the world, of his time. What does he say about pride?
Proverbs 16:5
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand, join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (5)
This tells me that pride is an offence to the Lord, an abomination or disgusting, revolting. It also reveals that this offence has a penalty! It is a punishable offence! Nobody even considers the fact that pride is sin.Recognizing this fact brings us into realization or condemnation!
Examining pride further we find that Timothy, who was part of the apostle, Paul’s followers and teachers; Was in Ephesus taking care of the church, while Paul traveled to Macedonia. Timothy was instructed by Paul to silence the people who were teaching false doctrines. Paul advised Timothy on his own personal conduct and gave Timothy instruction.
Timothy teaches about how a bishop must behave.
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall in the condemnation of the devil. (6)
Morever he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (7)
In verse 6, he clearly states that pride will bring us into condemnation. Condemnation from the devil!
In verse 7, Timothy explains his statement, “falling in reproach or the snare” (trap) set by the devil! 1Tim 3:6-7
In essence, Pride can be viewed as a snare or trap set by the devil! Now, let us consider what Jesus says about pride!
Mark 7:20-23
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. Mark 7:20
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Mark 7:21
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness Mark 7:20:22
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7:20:23
There you have it! While Jesus was describing the things that defile a man he described it as “evil things that come from within us.”
Sounds pretty clear to me that Pride is listed with other things that the Lord wants us to know are evil!
Pride is Evil!
The world may accept and expect Pride to be an acceptable part of our personality. However, God does not! The Lord has made it very clear what He expects of us. Do not get it confused with what man expects of us! We are too be loving, faithful, humble, and thankful for the things that the Lord provides, not boastful or Proud. Pride is a sin!
Today, I would like to present to you what the Holy Bible says about pride and whether or not we should exhibit this part of our natural sinful desires. First, I think we should take a good look at what the Lord says about pride!
Obadiah 1:3-4
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? (3)
Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. (4)
The Lord spoke and His message was point-blank! There is no hidden meaning there! His opinion, of our opinion,of our own self worth-is clear! Yet, we continue to exhibit behavior associated with pride! I am just as guilty as anyone else! I have prayed and
I was so happy that the Lord answered and that it was more than I had asked for that I wanted to go show the world and brag about it!
I caught myself speaking about the Lord to other's, I wanted to scream, “My Daddy’s rich and powerful! Look what he did for me”, to anyone that might listen! I wanted to let others know that God thought I was important enough to listen to and answer my prayers while secretly thinking this made me more important than other people! I was wrong, of course, I was prideful because in my mind this placed me above other people. This was my sin! I should have come humbly and thankful before the Lord, not bragging to others! I should place myself beneath others because the Lord will lift me up.
That my friend’s is Pride!
When we get a new car or new clothes, house, etc. and we brag about it like we are better than someone who does not have these things, then we are bragging about something we are proud of. That is Pride!
When we sense that we are proud of it, we should stop and think about how we are thinking. We should not be proud but we should be grateful, humble and thankful to the Lord for providing for us!
We cannot exhibit this type of pride even if we are excited about it! We can be proud of what the Lord has done for us and witness to others about it but we must do so with a humble spirit. We must be sure that the Lord gets the credits and not us!
I don’t know about you, I get the feeling that the Lord does not want us to exhibit haughty pride! He tells Obadiah, the pride of your heart has deceived you! So, we can gather that Pride is deceptive!
People can be deceived by pride!
Now, we have all experienced the deception of pride at one point or another in our lives.
When we think, in our minds and/or speak out of our mouth with pride it does not usually impress our listener’s. Prideful talk can cause other’s to become jealous or resentful. Does this accomplish anything? Do other people think we are a better person because we can brag about something that we have or have done? No. They miss the message completely and all they are thinking is, “What a braggart!”
I John 2:16-17, The apostle John wrote,
I John 2:16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I John 2:17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
The apostle John clearly identifies lust and pride as things that are not of God but they are material things that the world identifies us with or that we identify ourselves with! He also clearly states that lust and pride are not of the Lord, our father and makes it clear that these things are not lasting. We cannot keep them! However, he clearly states that the person who does the will of God abides forever!
Now in the Old Testament Job was speaking to the Lord during a terrible time in his life, Job answered the Lord and in his answer he made mention of Pride.
Job 40:11-12
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. (11)
Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place (12)
This passage shows us that Job recognized Pride as wicked or sinful. In the book of proverbs we find what is considered to be King Solomon’s work, proverbs and parables. It is dated approximately at 180B.C.
Solomon had prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom and King Solomon was considered one of the wisest men in the world, of his time. What does he say about pride?
Proverbs 16:5
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand, join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (5)
This tells me that pride is an offence to the Lord, an abomination or disgusting, revolting. It also reveals that this offence has a penalty! It is a punishable offence! Nobody even considers the fact that pride is sin.Recognizing this fact brings us into realization or condemnation!
Examining pride further we find that Timothy, who was part of the apostle, Paul’s followers and teachers; Was in Ephesus taking care of the church, while Paul traveled to Macedonia. Timothy was instructed by Paul to silence the people who were teaching false doctrines. Paul advised Timothy on his own personal conduct and gave Timothy instruction.
Timothy teaches about how a bishop must behave.
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall in the condemnation of the devil. (6)
Morever he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (7)
In verse 6, he clearly states that pride will bring us into condemnation. Condemnation from the devil!
In verse 7, Timothy explains his statement, “falling in reproach or the snare” (trap) set by the devil! 1Tim 3:6-7
In essence, Pride can be viewed as a snare or trap set by the devil! Now, let us consider what Jesus says about pride!
Mark 7:20-23
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. Mark 7:20
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Mark 7:21
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness Mark 7:20:22
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7:20:23
There you have it! While Jesus was describing the things that defile a man he described it as “evil things that come from within us.”
Sounds pretty clear to me that Pride is listed with other things that the Lord wants us to know are evil!
Pride is Evil!
The world may accept and expect Pride to be an acceptable part of our personality. However, God does not! The Lord has made it very clear what He expects of us. Do not get it confused with what man expects of us! We are too be loving, faithful, humble, and thankful for the things that the Lord provides, not boastful or Proud. Pride is a sin!
Today's Verse
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
The difference between pride & thankfulness
The Holy Bible tells us pride goes before destruction or a fall. Should pride be part of our personality as Christians? There is a difference between pride and thankfulness. In other words, when you accomplish a great feat, such as graduating from school, a promotion at work or complete a bible study, there is the temptation to be prideful, a sense of pride wells up inside that makes us feel good about ourselves and makes us want to brag a little to others. Yet, the Bible tells us pride comes before a fall. So, how should we feel when we accomplish some great thing or when our loved ones achieve some great measure of recognition? The answer is simple. We should fight off the feelings of pride and replace them with thankfulness. Thanking the Lord for giving us or our friend or family member the ability to accomplish the goal that was achieved.
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Prayer/Membership/Members Bible Study Group/Weekly study group/Our Great Commission/Inspiration/
Current Bible Study Series: End Times Bible Study/Faith Bible Study/Genesis Bible Study/Keys to Blessings Study/Parables Jesus Told Bible Study/Faith Bible Study/Forgiveness Bible Study/Raw Power Unleashed/Pride Bible Study/Origin of Christmas/Jealousy Bible Studies
Other websites by Rev. Penny Dean
This website created by Rev. Penny Dean
Contact Us: lovethelordfirstministries@gmail.com
Love the Lord First Ministries 2016 Logo created using Logo Garden Logo Maker
