Proverbs 6:16-19 The Problem with Pride Introduction The year 2016 has proven to be a year of controversy already. With the recent laws passing in Charlotte, this years candidates for president, we are facing some very controversial days. Many are up in arms over a particular sin, and that sin is homosexuality. Baptist can say some pretty outlandish things when they are mad. First of all I want to acknowledge the truth that homosexuality is a sin. It is a sin for which Jesus died, and from which sinners have been and can be saved, just as any other sin. We tend to press harder on the issue of homosexuality because we don t identify with it, and sadly because we aren t guilty of it. However, Solomon writes to us about seven sins that Lord hates. He even calls them abominations! The reason he uses the number six and seven is because in Hebrew ascending numbers are used to express completeness. What is interesting is that homosexuality isn t found in this particular list. Rather sins that you and I are guilty of are found here. Of course, you wont be guilty of all these sins either, but we are guilty of a lot of them. These are seven sins that are abominations. That means that they are disgusting and detestable to God. He rejects them; He hates them, and will cut down all who commit them. Psalm 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. God says He will not endure the one who has an high look and a proud heart. No there will come a time when God sends judgment to those who have a proud heart!
Psalm 101:5 seems to capsulize the meaning of our text. A proud look. A high and haughty look comes from a high and haughty heart. Why would God hate, detest, and reject those who are proud of heart? Why would He specifically mention pride as a sin that He hates? Aren t there worse sins that should have His attention? One reason God hates pride is found in Obad. 3, The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Pride is deceptive, destructive, and ultimately damning. Pride deceives by what it allows you to see. Pride will put blinders on you, and it will work like a mirage and cause you to see things that really aren t there! As I preach on the problem with pride I would like to point out some areas that pride blinds us to. The first area pride blinds us to is I. I. The Wickedness of our Sin Charles Spurgeon said None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves. The sin of pride is an abomination to our God. It is detestable to our Savior. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that God resist the proud. Pride blinds us to our own sin and causes us to think we are better than others, look down upon those less fortunate or involved in a gross sin, and even causes us to boast in our own selfrighteousness. When all the while we offering but filthy rags to our blessed redeemer!
Augustine said It was pride that turned angels into devils. Ezekiel 28:15 tell us that the devil and these angels were created in perfection. If pride can turn perfect angels into devils, what can it do to men who were conceived in iniquity? Pride will blind you to the wickedness of your own sin by making you think that your problem isn t really your fault. It s a spouse, a friend, a job, a problem. But nothing could be further from the truth. D.L. Moody put it best when he said, I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man. Your problem isn t your family, your spouse, or your job, it s your wicked heart! Pride blinded Satan to the heinous crime he was committing against almighty God. In reality he had no idea what would be the consequence of his sin. Sin will do the same to you and me. It will blind us to the vileness of our own sin! Pride allows you to make your sin innocent, understandable, and even justifiable! Pride makes you think that your sin is actually ok, and that God understands. Go to the cross, and you will see that God does not ever understand sin. He always rejects it! Our sin of pride isn t innocent, it isn t understandable, and it certainly isn t justifiable. Being filled with pride is the most Satan like thing we can do. The second area pride blinds us to is II. II. The Worth of the Savior Ezekiel 28:17 reveals to us the reason that pride filled Satan s heart. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty. Pride prevented Satan
from reveling in the Savior. Instead of taking pleasure in who God is, Satan was captivated by his own beauty. It is here that we see that Satan saw God without seeing His glory, He saw God without seeing His beauty, He saw God without seeing His infinite worth. Satan never saw the glory of God and because of Pride, he never will. What a sad existence to live an eternity and never see or desire to see the glory of Jesus Christ, but willingly to trade it for something lesser. At best Satan was the second most beautiful thing in heaven. Make no mistake, God was the most beautiful. Pride will let you come to church, sing in the choir, and even preach a sermon without letting you see the surpassing worth of Jesus! Pride will convince you to trade the glory of Jesus for something far, far less. If there were no other reason to repent of pride, this is reason enough. To truly see Jesus begets savoring Him. Lord, let us see your glory! The third area pride blinds us to is III. III. The Worship of the Savior Ezekiel 28:13 thou has been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created. Instead Isaiah tells us what he did instead. Isaiah 14:13-14 For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the
mount of congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. There are five I will statements from Satan that reveals the pride in his heart. Satan was created to reflect the glory of God, but instead he tried to exalt himself. He was then cast out of heaven and as a result of trying to become like God on his own, Satan became as unlike God as possible. Pride will rob you of your purpose. God created you to reflect His glory, to bring Him honor, and to sing His praise, but pride will steal that away from you and leave you in the ashes of despair, and will ultimately damn your soul to hell. How then do we overcome pride? Pray with Paul that Jesus Christ would be magnified in your body whether by life or by death! Cry with John, He must increase but I must decrease. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He shall lift you up! Conclusion Now that we have exposed the areas that pride will blind you to, have you been blinded by pride? Maybe you didn t even realize you had a problem with pride until today, or maybe you have battled it for a long time. Jesus died for your pride as much as He did your lying, lusting, and stealing. Repent of your pride, and beg God to give you power to overcome you sin, after all that is why He died rose again! I do offer a word of warning to those who hear me and don t think God is talking to them. 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore to him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.