PRIDE/HUMILITY
Though pride and humility are opposites, they were put here together because they are often found this way in Scripture. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Proverbs 29:23). “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Proverbs 18:12). Pride says, “I did it”; humility says, “Praise the Lord.” First Corinthians 4:7 says, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
Pride can keep people from being saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 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. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 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. 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” (Luke 18:9–14).
So it is possible for one to “humbleth himself.” “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind” (Colossians 3:12). “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen” (Proverbs 25:6–7). “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi” (Matthew 23:5–7).
Pride is one of the sins God judges the quickest. “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:21–23). “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee” (Daniel 4:30–31; see also Proverbs 16:18, 18:12; see BOASTING).
Is pride always wrong? In Scripture, pride is frequently negative, as being self-centered, arrogant, conceited, and haughty. And no one likes being around someone who has a “big head,” bragging about how great he is. But is it wrong to be proud of your spouse or children? Or a child proud of his good grades, or an adult of doing a good job? Consider these verses: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4); “For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:20); “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4); and “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4).
But there is a thin line here, and even Paul was corrected for pride. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). A Christian brother once said to me, “One of the most important things we can seek for is humility.”
I asked him, “Have you obtained humility yet?”
He replied, “I am trying.”
Our focus should be to glorify the Lord: “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
Please read the other topics and pray for this website to be used of God and to help Christians!
Though pride and humility are opposites, they were put here together because they are often found this way in Scripture. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Proverbs 29:23). “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Proverbs 18:12). Pride says, “I did it”; humility says, “Praise the Lord.” First Corinthians 4:7 says, “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
Pride can keep people from being saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 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. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 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. 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” (Luke 18:9–14).
So it is possible for one to “humbleth himself.” “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind” (Colossians 3:12). “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen” (Proverbs 25:6–7). “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi” (Matthew 23:5–7).
Pride is one of the sins God judges the quickest. “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:21–23). “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee” (Daniel 4:30–31; see also Proverbs 16:18, 18:12; see BOASTING).
Is pride always wrong? In Scripture, pride is frequently negative, as being self-centered, arrogant, conceited, and haughty. And no one likes being around someone who has a “big head,” bragging about how great he is. But is it wrong to be proud of your spouse or children? Or a child proud of his good grades, or an adult of doing a good job? Consider these verses: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4); “For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:20); “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4); and “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4).
But there is a thin line here, and even Paul was corrected for pride. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). A Christian brother once said to me, “One of the most important things we can seek for is humility.”
I asked him, “Have you obtained humility yet?”
He replied, “I am trying.”
Our focus should be to glorify the Lord: “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
Please read the other topics and pray for this website to be used of God and to help Christians!