The Problem With Pride

THE PROBLEM WITH PRIDE 

I think we are safe to say that "pride" is probably the greatest sin of the human race. And as near as I know, it began in the heart of one of the highest created beings in heaven. His name was Lucifer and you can read the details in (Is 14:12-21), his pride led to rebellion against his Creator resulting in his being cast out of heaven. He chose to come down to our Planet Earth and has been an enemy of God ever since, and of course all of God's children. One example of a man who started out as a "good man" is recorded in the OT book of Second Chronicles chapter 26, his name was Uzziah who became king of Judah when he was only 16 years old. He was one of the better kings of Judah and pleased the Lord by his actions in the beginning of his reign and God blessed him. However, we read "But when he become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall" (2 Chron 26:16). We read in verse 21 "So King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died".

In the NT we have some good advice from the Apostle Peter in his first letter (1 Peter 5:5-9) where he says in part "God opposes the proud but favors the humble, so humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.---Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith". NLT I'm sure we are all aware of people who have been successful in business or some other occupation that others have considered them very special "celebrities" and they start to believe their own press reports. It seems this inevitably leads them to become "proud" of their accomplishments. Someone has rightly said "It is hard to stay humble when you become famous", and I expect that is true unless you are a "committed" follower of Jesus, and realize that without Him and the help of His Holy Spirit we can accomplish nothing in our own strength. Our flesh nature is capable of many works of sin, but God has given every person who exercises faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior His Holy Spirit the moment they are "born again". At that point in time Father adopts them into His family and gives them the "gift" of the Holy Spirit as a seal of the transaction. The Holy Spirit wars against the flesh nature (Gal 5:16-26), and is always there in our spirits to defeat the flesh nature. So we have no excuse for yielding to our lower nature and committing sin as a committed follower of Jesus!!

Sincerely submitted.

Dave Jamer                                                                              30/05/13