PRIDE

PRIDE

In 1999 President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” During his presidency Barack Obama echoed this sentiment and proclaimed June to be “LGBT Pride Month.” Later President Joe Biden further expanded the honor to “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month.” Biden even went so far as to proclaim Easter Sunday 2024 as the “Trans Day of Visibility”. He apparently disregarded the long standing White House policy of banning religious symbols from the annual Easter Egg Role. The point is, all over the world LGBTQ+ people are celebrating “PRIDE” as though it is something to be “proud of.”

Many have the mistaken idea that while “homosexual” relations are an “abomination” to God (Leviticus 18:22), “pride” is somehow something innocent, good, and commendable. In the eyes of God, however, “pride” is apparently more offensive to God than the sin of illicit sex. As we will later show, Satan, himself, was cast out of heaven for pride and not for sexual sins. Homosexuality is mentioned in 7 different passages in the Bible while pride is mentioned in 58 passages!

Here are a few Scriptures about pride:

• There are six things the Lord hates and seven that are detestable to Him. Please note that a proud look is at the top of the list (Proverbs 6:16-19). The other sins listed are lying, murder, a wicked heart, eagerness to do evil, a false witness, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Yes! God hates all sin, but please note that homosexuality is further down on the list!
• Here are a few familiar passages to consider!
• “God hates pride and arrogance.” (Proverbs 8:13)
• “The Lord detests all the proud of heart.” (Proverbs 16:5)
• “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
• “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Psalms 10:4)
• “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
• “All of you clothe yourself with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (I Peter 5:5)
• These Scriptures could easily be multiplied!
• According to the Bible it seems that no vice is more opposed to God than pride! God hates pride because it is a manifestation of the deepest depravity, and the root cause of all forms of sin. C.S. Lewis says, “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

SATAN AND JESUS

As we have mentioned, Satan was cast out of heaven because of pride. God said to Satan: “You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you,

guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.” (Ezekiel 28:14-17)

Jesus, by contrast, was honored because of His humility. Paul wrote: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

ADAM AND EVE

Just as pride was the original sin in heaven, it was also involved in the original sin on earth. Eating the forbidden fruit involved pride! Satan appealed to Eve’s pride by promising: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:4-7)

The desire to be like God involved pride and so did the desire to cover their nakedness!

CAIN AND ABEL

When the Lord looked with favor upon Abel and his offering, Cain became angry (Genesis 4e:4-5)! Cain was so angry with his brother that he killed him. Please consider that Solomon said that pride breeds quarrels (Proverbs 13:10). Without pride there would be no quarrels! It is obvious that pride was involved in the argument and hatred that caused Cain to kill his brother!

Pride causes us to focus on ourselves instead of God! Satan focused on himself and said: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Cain’s pride also caused him to focus on himself! “Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:13-14)

Job focused on God and said: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15)

Jesus told of a rich fool who also thought too much of himself: “‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:17-21)

BABEL

Pride is the sad legacy of the infamous city of Babel: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:1-9)

SAUL AND DAVID

King Saul was rejected by God as king because his heart was filled with pride. The Scriptures teach that a man should not think of himself more highly than he ought (Romans 12:3). It seems that Saul thought more highly of himself than he ought to. Perhaps he even considered himself more important than God! For example, when he returned from fighting the Amalekites he did not honor God but went to Carmel and set up a monument in his own honor (1 Samuel 15:12). On another occasion Saul did not obey God because he was afraid of the people. He apparently valued the praise of men more than the praise of God (1 Samuel 15:24). When Saul was rebuked by Samuel his pride cause him to say: “I have sinned but please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:30)

David, by contrast, was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). David prayed: “Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.” (2 Samuel 7:28-29) When David became king he inquired of the Lord before every major decision: (See 1 Samuel 23;1-3; 4-5; 12-14; 30:8-9; 2 Samuel 2:1-2; 5:17-21; 22-25; 21:1; etc.) There are 150 psalms in the book of psalms and David wrote 75 of them. 73 bear his name and Acts 4:25 confirms that he also wrote Psalm 2, and Hebrews 4:7 confirms that he wrote Psalm 95.

Yes! David was a sinner saved by grace, but his humility made him a big improvement over King Saul. Here is another of David’s prayers: “My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things to wonderful for me.” (Psalms 131:1)

UZZIAH THE KING OF JUDAH

“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.” Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 26:18-21)

BELSHAZZAR

“King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.” (Daniel 5:1-4)

It was at this point that the fingers of a human hand wrote his doom on the plaster of the wall. Those words condemned Belshazzar for his pride. Daniel rebuked him by saying: “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.“But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.” (Daniel 5:18-23)

“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.” (Daniel 5:30)

HAMAN

“After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.” (Esther 3:1-2)

Haman’s pride was so wounded that he decided to kill Mordecai the Jew and all of his people!

“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.” (Esther 3:8-9) Haman was so excited about killing Mordecai that he built gallows 75 feet high upon which to hang this man who offended his pride (Esther 5:14).

Before the hanging King Xerxes couldn’t sleep one night and ordered that the chronicles of his reign be read to him. This history reminded the king that Mordecai had saved his life when two of the his guards planned to assassinate him. Since Mordecai had not been honored for this, the king asked his good friend Haman “What should be done for the king delights to honor? Now Haman thought to himself, Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” (Esther 6:6) Soon Haman would experience what Solomon warned of when he wrote: “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

What Haman didn’t know is that Queen Esther, whom the king dearly loved, was a Jew like Mordecai whom hated and wanted to kill.

When the king found out how wicked Haman was, the Jews were saved and Mordecai was hanged on his own gallows (Esther 7:10). This remarkable deliverance is still celebrated today by Jews during the Feast of Purim. As Solomon said: “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)

KING HEROD

King Herod Agrippa also died because of his pride!

“Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply. On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give

praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.” (Acts 12:19-24)

BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

Little children do not have pride. They are not ashamed when they dirty a diaper or spill their food. As they grow older, however, they will learn to be proud. Conversion, however, requires that we be converted and become like a little child! “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-4)

Those who exalt themselves cannot be saved! “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers— or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

SEEKING GREATNESS

The mother of James and John wanted her children to be great. Sadly, she went about it in the wrong way! “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:20-23)

The mother of Zebedee’s children was wrong! In the kingdom of Christ greatness is not given but is earned by humility and service. “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matthew 20:24-28)

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” (Acts 4:36-37)

When Annanias and Sapphira saw how Barnabas was honored their pride apparently caused them to want the same kind of honor.

“Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” (Acts 5:1-110

SIMON THE SORCERER

“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.” (Acts 8:9-13)

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God they sent Peter and John to confer upon them the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Spirit!

“Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” (Acts 8:17-24)

WHERE IS THE RESTING PLACE OF GOD?

When you are preparing a place for a special guest it is customary to sweep dirt under the rug, put the clutter in the closet, and hurriedly make everything as neat and clean as possible.

God, however, does not think like the average person. Isaiah wrote: ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

In reality God wants us to invite Him into our heart just as we are! Since God knows everything about us He prefers a humble and contrite spirit rather than the thin veneer of our own righteousness!

“This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (Isaiah 66:1-2)

Then, to emphasize the fact that God sees our heart and is not fooled by our outward appearance, Isaiah continues:

“But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” (Isaiah 66:3-4)

• When we see someone sacrificing a bull, we normally assume they are worshiping God. God, however, sees inside their heart and knows if they really want to kill their enemy!
• We see someone offering a lamb, God can see a sinner breaking a dog’s neck!
• We see a grain offering, God can see a rebel presenting pig’s blood!
• We see someone burning incense while God can see an idolator!

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” (Hebrews 4:13)

CONVERSION

Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

If you have any pride, taking up a cross will put it to death!

The very essence of conversion is to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Conversion, as you know, is symbolized by baptism: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:1-14)

SOMETHING TO BOAST ABOUT!

“ This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)