Tuesday, February 21, 2017

The dangers of pride

The sin of pride is one we all struggle with regardless of your personality or position in life. It affects both the king and the pauper, the rich and the poor, the quiet and the out spoken. And we all have areas where it is prominent and areas where it is subtle. So I would like to share several thoughts from saints who have gone before us, on the dangers of pride.

A proud man is bound to fall
Pride thrust . . .
Adam out of paradise, Saul out of his kingdom, Nebuchadnezzar out of men's society, Haman out of court, and  Lucifer out of Heaven!
(Thomas Adams he Wicket Gate Magazine Edition number 119. Gleanings in the Psalms – Psalm 73 – http://www.wicketgate.co.uk)

A proud man thinks he is better than others
A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself: `let each esteem other better than themselves’ (Phil. 2:3). A humble man values others at a higher rate than himself, and the reason is because he can see his own heart better than he can another’s. He sees his own corruption and thinks surely it is not so with others; their graces are not so weak as his; their corruptions are not so strong. `Surely’, he thinks, `they have better hearts than I.’ A humble Christian studies his own infirmities and another’s excellences and that makes him put a higher value upon others than himself. `Surely I am more brutish than any man’ (Prov. 30:2). And Paul, though he was the chief of the apostles, still calls himself `less than the least of all saints’ (Eph. 3:8). (Thomas Watson. The Godly Man’s Picture pg 59)

A proud man does not acknowledge his sinfulness and inability
Why does God permit such an inability in man to keep the law? He does it: To humble us. Man is a self-exalting creature; and if he has but anything of worth, he is ready to be puffed up; but when he comes to see his deficiencies and failings, and how far short he comes of the holiness and perfection which God’s law requires, it pulls down the plumes of his pride, and lays them in the dust; he weeps over his inability; he blushes over his leprous spots; he says with Job, ‘I abhor myself in dust and ashes.’   (Thomas Watson. The Ten Commandments pg 3)

Though the saints have their golden graces, yet they have their leprous spots; seeing sin has made us vile, let it make us humble; seeing it has taken away our beauty, let it take away our pride; if God (saith Austin [Augustine]) did not spare the proud angels, will He spare you, who are but dust and rottenness? O look upon your boils and ulcers, and be humble! Christians are never more lovely in God’s eyes, than when they are loathsome in their own; those sins which humble, shall never damn.
(Thomas Watson Harmless as Doves pg. 129)

Our hearts must go along with our confessions. The hypocrite confesses sin but loves it, like a thief who confesses to stolen goods, yet loves stealing. How many confess pride and covetousness with their lips but roll them as honey under their tongue.
(Thomas Watson “Doctrine of Repentance” pg. 29)

A proud man is too preoccupied with his reputation
Oh that I was lowly in heart! Honor and dishonor, good report and evil report would then be alike, and prove a furtherance to me in my Christian cause.
(George Whitefield ©2002-2016 SermonIndex.net. Promoting Genuine Biblical Revival.)

"Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; for you are far worse than he thinks you to be." (Charles H. Spurgeon.www.albatrus.org)

A proud man refuses to honor God
A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom; and that it is by God's power that he is upheld and provided for, and that he needs God's wisdom to lead and guide him, and His might to enable him to do what he ought to do for Him.

(Jonathan Edwards Christian love and its fruit page 65)

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