Avoiding Pride
We have to be careful of pride, you can check yourself to see if you are using I,
me, or my. Pride puts you above all, even God; just look at the fall of the satan
(Isaiah 14:12-15) “how are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning;
how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations. For you have
said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I
will ascent above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet you
shall be brought down to hell; to the sides of the pit.
Desiring of fame, and a reputation can cause you trouble, if you are doing it to
show off (Matthew 6:1-7,16-18) Jesus warns “take heed that you do not your alms
before men, to be seen of them; otherwise you have no reward of your Father
which is in heaven. Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet
before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may have glory of men. Verily I say to you, they have their reward. But when you
do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does. That your alms
may be in secret; and your Father which sees in secret Himself shall reward you
openly. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may
be seen of men. Verily I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you
pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your
Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you
openly. But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Moreover when you fast, be
not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that
they may appear to men to fast. Verily, I say to you, they have their reward. But
you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face. That you appear not to
men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which is in
secret shall reward you openly”.
Pride is not of God, the apostle John writes in (I John 2:15-16) “love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”.
The Bible says that God hates the proud, in Proverbs 6:16-17a “these six things
does the Lord Yahweh hate; yea, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud
look”. Notice that the first thing on the list is a proud look. Proverbs 8:13 says the
fear (reverence) of the Lord Yahweh is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the
evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate”. When pride comes, then comes
shame; but with the lowly is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). And Proverbs 13:10 says
“only by pride comes contention; but with the well advised is wisdom”.
King Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson after being restored to his kingdom
(Daniel 4:28-37) “all this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of
twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke,
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 honor of my majesty? While the word was in the
king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to
you it is spoken; the kingdom s departed from you. And they shall drive you from
men; and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make you to
eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you (seven years) and you
know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever
He will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was
driven from men; and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of
heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds claws.
And in the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my
understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and I praised and
honored Him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and
His kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing; and He does according to His will in the army of heaven,
and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say to
Him, what do You? At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory
of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned to me; and my counselors and
my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty
was added to me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol, and honor the King of
heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in
pride, He is able to abase”.
David writes in the psalms “the fear of the Lord Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever;
the judgments of the Lord Yahweh are true and righteous altogether. More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and
the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Your servant warned; and in keeping of
them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse You me
from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them
not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the
great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in Your sight O Lord Yahweh, my strength and my redeemer” (Psalms
19:9-14) and in Psalms 36:9-11 David writes “for with You is the fountain of life; in
Your light shall we see light. O continue Your loving kindness to them that know
You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come
against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me”.
When we remember that we are not our own and that we were brought with a price;
that should be humbling to us so that we always give God the glory for what He
does through us. This is what defeats the devil (Revelation 12:11) “and they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives to the death”.
The apostle Paul warns Timothy not to raise up a leader to quickly (I Timothy 3:6-
7) “not a novice; less being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the
devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are outside; less he fall
into reproach and the snare of the devil”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 15, 2011
We have to be careful of pride, you can check yourself to see if you are using I,
me, or my. Pride puts you above all, even God; just look at the fall of the satan
(Isaiah 14:12-15) “how are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning;
how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations. For you have
said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I
will ascent above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet you
shall be brought down to hell; to the sides of the pit.
Desiring of fame, and a reputation can cause you trouble, if you are doing it to
show off (Matthew 6:1-7,16-18) Jesus warns “take heed that you do not your alms
before men, to be seen of them; otherwise you have no reward of your Father
which is in heaven. Therefore when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet
before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may have glory of men. Verily I say to you, they have their reward. But when you
do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does. That your alms
may be in secret; and your Father which sees in secret Himself shall reward you
openly. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may
be seen of men. Verily I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you
pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your
Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you
openly. But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Moreover when you fast, be
not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that
they may appear to men to fast. Verily, I say to you, they have their reward. But
you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face. That you appear not to
men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which is in
secret shall reward you openly”.
Pride is not of God, the apostle John writes in (I John 2:15-16) “love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”.
The Bible says that God hates the proud, in Proverbs 6:16-17a “these six things
does the Lord Yahweh hate; yea, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud
look”. Notice that the first thing on the list is a proud look. Proverbs 8:13 says the
fear (reverence) of the Lord Yahweh is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the
evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate”. When pride comes, then comes
shame; but with the lowly is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). And Proverbs 13:10 says
“only by pride comes contention; but with the well advised is wisdom”.
King Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson after being restored to his kingdom
(Daniel 4:28-37) “all this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of
twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke,
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 honor of my majesty? While the word was in the
king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to
you it is spoken; the kingdom s departed from you. And they shall drive you from
men; and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make you to
eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you (seven years) and you
know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever
He will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was
driven from men; and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of
heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds claws.
And in the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my
understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and I praised and
honored Him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and
His kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing; and He does according to His will in the army of heaven,
and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say to
Him, what do You? At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory
of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned to me; and my counselors and
my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty
was added to me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol, and honor the King of
heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in
pride, He is able to abase”.
David writes in the psalms “the fear of the Lord Yahweh is clean, enduring for ever;
the judgments of the Lord Yahweh are true and righteous altogether. More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and
the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Your servant warned; and in keeping of
them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse You me
from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them
not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the
great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in Your sight O Lord Yahweh, my strength and my redeemer” (Psalms
19:9-14) and in Psalms 36:9-11 David writes “for with You is the fountain of life; in
Your light shall we see light. O continue Your loving kindness to them that know
You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come
against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me”.
When we remember that we are not our own and that we were brought with a price;
that should be humbling to us so that we always give God the glory for what He
does through us. This is what defeats the devil (Revelation 12:11) “and they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and
they loved not their lives to the death”.
The apostle Paul warns Timothy not to raise up a leader to quickly (I Timothy 3:6-
7) “not a novice; less being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the
devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are outside; less he fall
into reproach and the snare of the devil”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: July 15, 2011
