Pride Is Not A Virtue, It Is A Sin! by Pastor Art Kohl The Bible speaks against pride strongly. It has nothing good to say about it. Pride is not a virtue as humanism has taught us, it is a sin as the Bible teaches. Notice a dozen despicable descriptions of the sin of pride: 1. Pride is a despised sin. Proverbs 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." 2. Pride is a defiling sin. Mark 7:21-23, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." 3. Pride is a destructive sin. Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." 4. Pride is a disputatious sin (contentious). Proverbs 13:10, "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." 5. Pride is a debilitating sin. Daniel 5:20, "But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:" 6. Pride is a deceptive sin. Galatians 6:3, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." 7. Pride is a disrespected sin. Psalm 40:4, "Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." 8. Pride is a distancing sin. Psalm 138:6, "Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off." 9. Pride is a disgusting sin. Proverbs 6:16-19, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Proverbs 16:5, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." 10. Pride is a divisive sin (resist means to "oppose"). James 4:6, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." 11. Pride is a detrimental sin. Psalm 36:11, "Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me." 12. Pride is a debasing sin. Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." "Pride" is mentioned 46 times in the King James Bible. "Proud" is mentioned 47 times. "Haughty" is mentioned 10 times. A meticulous study of each time these words appear will lead to only one conclusion: They are never spoken of positively, only as sin and evil. Never is it suggested or implied that pride in any form is a virtue. Many believers have problems getting the humanism they were brought up with out of their hearts. Humanism teaches that pride is a virtue, the Bible teaches it is a sin. God expects believers to repent (change the way they think) about things. This leads to a change of actions. Instead of being proud, the believer should become humble. We will never have revival in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ until we humble ourselves. II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Pride is the original sin of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12,17) Pride in religion keeps people from humbling themselves before God and getting saved. It has also been the catalyst for many wars. Pride in children keeps parents from seeing their children's faults and disciplining and correcting them to make them better. Pride in self keeps us selfish and self-centered disabling us from enjoying or helping anyone else. Pride in country keeps us from praying fervently to our God for our nation. Pride in race or culture makes many prejudiced. Only God knows how many nations, marriages, families, churches, businesses, lives, etc. have been wrecked by pride. It is something Satan taught us and not the Lord. Jesus example is quite opposite. Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Humility and Brokeness

In the Bible there are many things that contribute to the effectiveness of prayer and the pathway to revival. The Bible tells us of one such important aspect termed humility, saying, if we humble ourselves and pray, God will listen to our prayers and heal our land.( 2 Chronicles 7:14). The land could begin from our own heart and progress from there to the land of our city or country etc. (James 4:6). Also the Bible tells us that, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1Peter 5:5-6, James 4:16). Remember we need grace in order to approach the THRONE OF GRACE with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But as we humble ourselves and are willing to be broken (denying ourselves) we are able to enjoy the favor of God, which leads us to higher heights in prayer and intercession to enable the revival. I pray that His grace will be over us all the time. Humility and brokenness also adds to our power in prayer. Although we cannot do it without the blood of Jesus, what makes us enter the holy of holies with ease is the attitude of our heart and our dependence on God. Jesus prayed earnestly with loud cries and tears and was heard because of His reverence to God (Heb 5:7). He loved righteousness and hated sin, and so God anointed him with the oil of gladness. He also suffered in the flesh for us, so that we too can have the same attitude to help us to rise up in doing the will of God. (Heb 1:9,1Peter 4:1) Humility is the choice of our will. Jesus humbled himself and became nothing (Philippians 2:7-8). We must choose to be humble and obedient. Coming to God in prayer is a sign of our humility. It expresses our dependence on God. As we keep doing so, we are humbled and broken as we see His greatness and glory in His presence. The Holy Spirit is also is a Spirit of humility, which is why we can depend on him as a helper to enable us to walk with him and learn true humility. Just as the water flows down the slope more powerfully, so also the fire of His Spirit—which is the river of God—flows down on us as we humble ourselves before Him. That’s why the other word of humility is lowliness. Humility and brokenness go hand in hand. The Bible tells us that God esteems the person who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at His Word. (Psalms 66:2) True humility and brokenness produces the fear of God that enables us to tremble at His word. Again in Isaiah 57:15, the Word tells us that God will live with the person who is contrite and lowly in spirit, so as to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Brokenness is a result of our continuous relationship and fellowship with God in all humility and contriteness. It is like the potter shaping the vessel when God begins to shape us. A broken person is the one who has gone through God’s dealing in his life, smoothing uneven edges and removing anything that could destroy the beauty of the vessel. God disciplines His sons whom he loves. (Hebrews 12:5-6) God disciplines us for our good that we might share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10). As we go through the Lord’s dealings in our lives we learn to depend on Him more and more, and as a result we are led by the Spirit all the time, as matured sons of God. (Romans 8:14) If we have not gone through the phase of brokenness, we tend to react too quickly to adverse circumstances as we are not yet dead to our flesh. We must experience a complete death to our self before God could use us more mightily for His glory. Remember, Moses went through 40 years of wilderness before he could catch the fire at the burning bush. Of course he had to go through another 40 years with the people of Israel because of their rebellion and disobedience. In the New Testament, God has made it very easy for us, by baptizing us with His Spirit and fire. If we keep the Lord first, and walk in His Spirit in obedience, we can quickly enter into His rest in the Promised Land (Heb 3, 4). The power of the Holy Spirit will gradually increase as we go through the experience of wilderness or brokenness in our life. Jesus returned with the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14) after going through the testing in the wilderness. Brokenness is the transformation that happens in our lives where our old habits and natures are changed, and we have developed good habits and Christ likeness for His glory.

Humility and Brokeness

In the Bible there are many things that contribute to the effectiveness of prayer and the pathway to revival. The Bible tells us of one such important aspect termed humility, saying, if we humble ourselves and pray, God will listen to our prayers and heal our land.( 2 Chronicles 7:14). The land could begin from our own heart and progress from there to the land of our city or country etc. (James 4:6). Also the Bible tells us that, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1Peter 5:5-6, James 4:16). Remember we need grace in order to approach the THRONE OF GRACE with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But as we humble ourselves and are willing to be broken (denying ourselves) we are able to enjoy the favor of God, which leads us to higher heights in prayer and intercession to enable the revival. I pray that His grace will be over us all the time. Humility and brokenness also adds to our power in prayer. Although we cannot do it without the blood of Jesus, what makes us enter the holy of holies with ease is the attitude of our heart and our dependence on God. Jesus prayed earnestly with loud cries and tears and was heard because of His reverence to God (Heb 5:7). He loved righteousness and hated sin, and so God anointed him with the oil of gladness. He also suffered in the flesh for us, so that we too can have the same attitude to help us to rise up in doing the will of God. (Heb 1:9,1Peter 4:1) Humility is the choice of our will. Jesus humbled himself and became nothing (Philippians 2:7-8). We must choose to be humble and obedient. Coming to God in prayer is a sign of our humility. It expresses our dependence on God. As we keep doing so, we are humbled and broken as we see His greatness and glory in His presence. The Holy Spirit is also is a Spirit of humility, which is why we can depend on him as a helper to enable us to walk with him and learn true humility. Just as the water flows down the slope more powerfully, so also the fire of His Spirit—which is the river of God—flows down on us as we humble ourselves before Him. That’s why the other word of humility is lowliness. Humility and brokenness go hand in hand. The Bible tells us that God esteems the person who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at His Word. (Psalms 66:2) True humility and brokenness produces the fear of God that enables us to tremble at His word. Again in Isaiah 57:15, the Word tells us that God will live with the person who is contrite and lowly in spirit, so as to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Brokenness is a result of our continuous relationship and fellowship with God in all humility and contriteness. It is like the potter shaping the vessel when God begins to shape us. A broken person is the one who has gone through God’s dealing in his life, smoothing uneven edges and removing anything that could destroy the beauty of the vessel. God disciplines His sons whom he loves. (Hebrews 12:5-6) God disciplines us for our good that we might share in His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10). As we go through the Lord’s dealings in our lives we learn to depend on Him more and more, and as a result we are led by the Spirit all the time, as matured sons of God. (Romans 8:14) If we have not gone through the phase of brokenness, we tend to react too quickly to adverse circumstances as we are not yet dead to our flesh. We must experience a complete death to our self before God could use us more mightily for His glory. Remember, Moses went through 40 years of wilderness before he could catch the fire at the burning bush. Of course he had to go through another 40 years with the people of Israel because of their rebellion and disobedience. In the New Testament, God has made it very easy for us, by baptizing us with His Spirit and fire. If we keep the Lord first, and walk in His Spirit in obedience, we can quickly enter into His rest in the Promised Land (Heb 3, 4). The power of the Holy Spirit will gradually increase as we go through the experience of wilderness or brokenness in our life. Jesus returned with the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14) after going through the testing in the wilderness. Brokenness is the transformation that happens in our lives where our old habits and natures are changed, and we have developed good habits and Christ likeness for His glory.