“THE PROUD RESIST GOD: in their understanding they resist the truths of God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they resist the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists the proud.” Matthew Henry quoting James 4:7 “God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud”. This is a NT and OT theme. Maybe you don’t understand what pride is?
Pride is not just found in the boasting of your accomplishments and achievements, as false humility and self-righteousness is pride. I recently heard a story from a friend of a person who was given a prophetic warning against pride. This person didn’t heed the warning, the pride went unchecked and their pride is continuing to destroy their life and family.
Pride is defined as: a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. Pride can manifest itself in many different ways. Self-promotion and glorying in your own achievements is pride and it is also anytime you exalt your thinking over God’s Word. It is anytime you exalt your way over God’s way.
Pride is anytime you do what you want and make your own decisions and blaze a path based on your fleshly wisdom rather than submit to God’s Word and His wisdom. Pride looks at another and proclaims, “I am better than that man!” Often experience exalts itself over the Word and manifests itself in pride. Probably more friendships and marriages have been killed through pride. Perhaps you do not know that the enemy of our souls often attacks through pride? We are to not be ignorant of his ways.
Satan fell from heaven because of his pride and pride has shown to work on mankind throughout every generation. Do you not understand that true satanism is “I am my own god”? Two of the laws of satanism are: “Do what you will” and “love is the only law”. Interesting. Sound familiar? There’s a reason the preaching coming out of the church is “just love”. But it’s not God’s love, it’s humanistic, fleshly, prideful, sinful love that does not obey God and spurns His Word. Satan has turned love into sin through ignorance and tolerance. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.” Proverbs 8:13
Do a regular pride checkup- it creeps in unaware. Let the Holy Spirit examine your heart for pride and repent for glorifying yourself. Stop boasting of your accomplishments and boast in the Lord. Then, He will abundantly pardon and bring a time of refreshing. Not my will, but Thine. #runyourrace
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
