“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
TEXT — Luke 18:9-17
Students of ancient Greek drama are familiar with excessive pride as the most common character flaw in the main actors. Also known as hubris, this drawback would eat deep into the soul, body, and entire life of an outstanding personality in the play. It would subtly take over the essence and being of the man or woman, and finally, it would strike them down in shame. It was always a gradual process that would lead to a tragic end. Overrun by self-conceit, the hero would never see nor notice the alarm bells as they warn of looming danger.
The word of God has offered the loudest signals against pride for generations. Centuries before the Greek tragedians, Solomon said in Proverbs 16:5: “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD… he shall not be unpunished.” The Bible cautions again that a haughty heart is the precursor to downfall, according to Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goeth before destruction.” And some 1000 years later, as He relates the story of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple, the position of God does not change as our Lord Jesus Christ declares: “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Humility is a beautiful virtue from the Lord while arrogance emanates from selfand Satan.The Christian life is characterised by a spirit that submits to divine control, where the self and carnal pursuits disappear entirely from the scene. But pride, dating from Satan’s ambition to despise God’s sovereignty and “be like the most High,” is fatal if not abhorred, expunged, and repented of.
The Bible provides the antidote to the question of pride driving the Christless inexorably to doom. It is an avoidable destination, unlike that of the Greek tragic heros who were scripted never to escape their fate. Though high and lofty, God has compassion for the penitent, who manifests faith in Christ’s redemptive work to escape the fate of the arrogant and unrepentant.
Thought for the day
Pride is a snare of damnable proportion. Avoid It!
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
Thank you Jesus for your word