Proud To Be A Christian?

Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile*!"

Pride is destructive! It destroyed lucifer's position in Heaven. It caused the mess in the garden with Adam and Eve. It caused Pharaoh to keep God's people in captivity. It caused Saul to hound David, oh and the list goes on. Pride doesn't dilute very well. Rather it seems to infiltrate, multiply and expand given any opportunity at all.

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall

Pride anesthetizes its victim at first so they DO NOT KNOW it is making its way into their heart. Prideful people are usually clueless that a prideful heart is destroying them. They sometimes don't even realise that they are proud. They glorify themselves for "choosing Jesus" and that makes them proud.

Job 35:10-12 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Pride carries with it so many other evils, as if pride alone is not enough. A prideful heart doesn't always consider God.

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

Pride causes us to attack others.

Psa 10:2-7 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

Just when the Spirit convinces a heart to repent and say, "I'm sorry" pride steps in and says, "NO WAY!" I've done nothing wrong. Pride points the finger of guilt while the pointer is most guilty.

But one of the most damaging effects of pride is that it strikes at the core of where God can use us the most - in the area of humility. A prideful heart is the opposite of a humble heart. God wants us to hate pride.

Pro 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward* mouth, do I hate.

A humble heart grows, because it learns, it listens, it is open and soft toward the things of God. A humble heart quickly says, "I'm sorry, please forgive me". A heart of humility is a heart that knows all too well the destructive force of pride and therefore has chosen the constructive force of humility.

Pride fights for position. Humility finds peace in submission. Pride accumulates relational debt, while humility reaps the harvest of loving relationships.

Pro 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

Isa 23:9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

Deception is based on pride, ignorance and laziness. If you are proud of your qualifications, background or experiences it will blind your eyes to the truth. You will not realise that you could have been taught wrong, even at the most distinguished of Universities or Graduation schools. It will prevent you from continually searching for truth.

Jer 49:15-16 For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart.

Pro 13:9-10; 14:3 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

Pride builds and adheres to men's rules instead of constantly seeking the truth in God's Word. Pride is the work of satan, and its purpose is to take away God's authority and replace it with human qualifications and positions. God is not a respector of persons, neither should we be.

Deu 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Deu 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Deu 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it

Pride does not belong in the church. It will attempt to replace the relevance of God's Word with the rules and laws of man. A proud pastor is a minister of satan.

2Co 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

It will destroy, and has succeeded in destroying many churches.

Jer 13:15-18 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive. Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

Stay away from pride, even pride of being a christian. We are to humble ourselves and thank the Lord that he has saved us. The concept of making others "jealous" of our christianity in order to "get them saved" is non-biblical. Being proud of being a christian is giving yourself the glory for it! How dare we say that we are christians because of what WE did? Nobody becomes a christian by "accepting" Jesus, but through the grace of God, who sent Jesus to die for our sins and deliver us unto salvation.

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Phi 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

For further study on pride, refer to the following scriptures:

>Lev26:19 >1Sa17:28 >2Ch32:26 >Job22:17 >Job35:12 >Job41:15 >Job41:34 >Psa10:2 >Psa10:4 >Psa31:20 >Psa36:11 >Psa59:12 >Psa73:6 >Pro8:13 >Pro11:12 >Pro13:10 >Pro14:3 >Pro16:18 >Pro29:23 >Isa9:9 >Isa16:6 >Isa23:9 >Isa25:11 >Isa28:1 >Isa28:3 >Jer13:9 >Jer13:17 >Jer48:29 >Jer49:16 >Eze7:10 >Eze16:49 >Eze16:56 >Eze30:6 >Dan4:32 >Dan5:20 >Hos5:5 >Hos7:10 >Oba1:3 >Zep2:10 >Zep3:11 >Zec9:6 >Zec10:11 >Zec11:3 >Mar7:22 >1Jo2:16

*guile = craftiness, cunning deceitfulness, treachery
*froward = disobedient, headstrong, self-willed, perverse

by Billy Silver