Part 7: PRIDE

Pride - An opinion of oneself that is too high; vanity.

Strong's Concordance: Pride And Its Root Words

PRIDE 1347. ga'own, gaw-ohn'; from H1342; the same as H1346:--arrogancy, excellency (-lent), majesty, pomp, pride, proud, swelling.

1342. ga'ah, gaw-aw'; a prim. root; to mount up; hence in gen. to rise, (fig.) be majestic:--gloriously, grow up, increase, be risen, triumph.

1346. ga'avah, gah-av-aw'; from H1342; arrogance or majesty; by impl. (concr.) ornament:--excellency, haughtiness, highness, pride, proudly, swelling.

Holman's Bible Dictionary

PRIDE Undue confidence in and attention to one's own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than in oneself. Many biblical words describe this concept, each with its own emphasis. Some of the synonyms for pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self-satisfaction, boasting, and high-mindedness. It is the opposite of humility, the proper attitude one should have in relation to God. Pride is rebellion against God because it attributes to self the honor and glory due to God alone. Proud persons do not think it necessary to ask forgiveness because they do not admit their sinful condition. This attitude toward God finds expression in one's attitude toward others, often causing people to have a low estimate of the ability and worth of others and therefore to treat them with either contempt or cruelty. Some have considered pride to be the root and essence of sin. Others consider it to be sin in its final form. In either case, it is a grievous sin.

PRIDE'S ATTRIBUTES

BOASTING "Boasting" can be committed only in the presence of other persons (1 John 2:16; Jas. 4:16).

Pride is putting people putting down in order to exalt self, and boasting is one way of doing that. How often have we heard things like,

He's a "blankity blank," or, "His elevator always stops one floor short of the top." These are boastings that exalt self as superior to others, and they are usually said with people around, sometimes with the person being insulted being present. Prideful boasting such as these hurt people. And there's a satisfaction in putting others down, as the scriptures say, sort of a rejoicing in self at the expense of others. One of my favorite examples is this one that Chevy Chase used to say all the time: "I'm Chevy Chase, and your not," as though he was some kind of standard anyway.

We're all familiar with the one-upmanship type sayings: "When I was a kid, we had to walk five miles to school." "Oh, yeah, well, when I was a kid we had to walk 10 miles to school, and we didn't have shoes!" "Oh, really. Well, when we were young we had to walk 30 miles to school and we didn't have any feet!"

People like to boast, be on top, be the superior one, but God calls for humility with speech that edifies.

Boasting In The Bible

In the Bible, people boasted in men, and Paul rebuked them:

Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

(James 4:16 KJV) "But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil."

Yet Paul knew how to boast. He boasted of his gifts and what he did according to what God gave him for the church. His boasting was about God, for he knew all he did was not of himself:

2 Cor 10:13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

Today, we have cults and organizations promoting false Christs, and boasting about them, but our boast is in our God because we know we can do nothing without Him.

HAUGHTINESS, ARROGANCE "Haughtiness" or "arrogance" measures self as above others (Mark 7:23; Luke 1:51; Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2; Jas. 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This word refers primarily to the attitude of one's heart.

Haughtiness grows out the imaginations of one's heart, thinking that one is better than others. How does God treat the haughty?

Luke 1:51 KJV "He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts."

1 Pet 5:5 KJV "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."

"Submit yourselves unto the elder" - this is to young men, who think they know better than the those who have been placed in authority by God.

"All of you be subject one to another" - don't be a know-it-all in the group. Submit one to another, meaning, let's be considerate of one another, of another's views, of what the Scriptures say, weighing situations in the light of God's word for the sake of unity and peace in the body.

"Be clothed with humility," not haughtiness. Paul said,

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

What is the result of that? What Paul said:

Phil 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

The Haughtiness Of The Pharisees and Sadducees

Jesus warned others of the haughtiness of the Pharisees and Sadducees: they thought they were better than others, filled with haughtiness. Jesus said,

Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. . . . 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Pride In The Last Days

Pride in all of its forms will be rampant in the last days. Paul wrote to Timothy:

2 Tim 3:2 KJV "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"

BLIND CONDITION First Timothy 3:6; 6:4; and 2 Timothy 3:4 use a word literally meaning "to wrap in smoke." It emphasizes the plight of the one who has been blinded by personal pride. When men are "wrapped in the smoke of pride," they can't see their sin, and are therefore taken captive to do the devil's will:

1 Tim 3:6 KJV "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil."

Paul said proud men are:

2 Tim 3:4 KJV "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;"

Pride In Its Many Forms

Pride may appear in many forms. Some of the more common are pride of race, spiritual pride, and pride of riches. Jesus denounced pride of race (Luke 3:8):

Luke 3:8 KJV "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

The parable of the Pharisee and the publican was directed at those guilty of spiritual pride, the ones who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (Luke 18:9):

Luke 18:9 KJV "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:" 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

James 1:10 warns the rich against the temptation to be lifted up with pride because of their wealth:

James 1:10 KJV "But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away."

Other Description Of The Proud

The proud want to capture those and exalt themselves over those with less power:

Psa 10:2 KJV "The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined."

The proud will not seek God in all of his problems, but lean on his own devices and solutions:

Psa 10:4 KJV "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts."

The proud do not praise God, but rail against man and God:

Psa 59:12 KJV "For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak."

The proud man is contentious:

Prov 13:10 KJV "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."

God's Reaction To Pride

(Lev 26:19 KJV) "And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:"

God's Reaction To The Humble

Psa 31:20 KJV "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

The Fate Of The Proud

It is the wise who will be preserved by God:

Prov 14:3 KJV "In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them."

But the proud will fall:

Prov 16:18 KJV "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

And this is their fate:

Isa 25:11 KJV "And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands."

Pride - A Very Deadly Sin. As Satan has said of himself against God, so does the proud man say against his neighbor:

Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High..

Satan says, "I will ascend into heaven."

Of Jesus, the word says, "Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,"

Satan says, " I will exalt my throne above the stars of God."

Of Jesus, the word says, "Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

Satan says, " I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north."

Of Jesus, the word says, "Phil 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name" : Satan says, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

Of Jesus, the word says, "Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."

Satan says, "I will be like the most High."

Of Jesus, the word says, "Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

The devil and his children in their pride boast of what they will do. God's children boast of what God has done through the humility of the Lamb of God, and calls us to be like Him. -End of Series