Wednesday, April 3, 2013

What sin do you think God hates the most? Why? What is the "fruit" of pride? What is the "fruit" of humility? 522 - 4-1

The fruit of pride for Nebuchadnezzar was to crawl around on all fours and eat grass for seven years. Once recovered, he wrote a chapter of the Bible. As a fruit of this humility he will likely greet us when we get to heaven.

Proverbs 6:16-20, “ 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. My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”

A proud look, pride was the reason for Satan’s fall when he thought he could rise above God. Satan appealed to Eve in the garden first through doubt and then by appealing to her pride by saying “you could become like God.”

Hands that shed innocent blood, what of the hundreds of thousands of abortions performed each year. A woman carrying an unborn baby will say it's my body and I have the right to decide what happens to it. Pride allows her to elevate herself above the life of her unborn child.
Often through pride mankind rejects the Creator and worships the created. In Romans Chapter 1 we are told that through the creation we are without excuse. One of the judgments pronounced on man due to rejecting the creation is homosexuality. This is so prevalent today and is being promoted as a normal lifestyle. I can almost picture Satan whispering into the ear of a man that he should be proud of himself for being above/ not confided to the normal order of things.

Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for their pride and hypocrisy. Just one example is found in Matthew 23:27, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness."

Perhaps the worst form of pride is the claim that the covenants that God had given to the Jewish people have passed to the church because of the rejection of Jesus by the Jews. This is blasphemy and calling God a covenant breaker.

To me, one of the greatest illustrations from the life of Jesus concerning the fruit of the humility was when he washed his disciples’ feet. What a tremendous lesson he taught them and all of us. Humble as the new Pope is said to be, I still can't envision him washing anyone's feet. And yet, our Lord did just that.

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