PRIDE | 6.25.23 | Sunday AM | On Fire Christian Church

Pride

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)
LGBTQ community has labeled June Pride month

Pride-A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect…..Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association……Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness.

Is Pride a good thing?
“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬

“A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.” Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬

“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬

Today in our culture mankind has elevated this month to shake its fist at God and to declare its independence from God and Gods commandments.
For the LGBTQ it is a declaration to be free from morality and to be as you feel you are

Pride attacks conviction, guilt for perversion. Pride attacks shame that is natural to shameful behavior

As the breath of this spirit is released through the earth and welcomed rather than resisted it gives way to destruction.

You do not get to pick and choose what evil spirits come with it. A breath of evil has blanketed the earth and now the earth is also plunged into a breath to be independent of the Living God is a greater measure

Believers who obviously would fight against any evil attempt of wickedness will find themselves tormented in their minds because these demons have been released over the earth.

Pride is an enemy to a follower of Jesus
As seriously dangerous as pride is, it’s equally hard to spot. When it comes to diagnosing our hearts, those of us who have the disease of pride have a challenging time identifying our sickness. Pride infects our eyesight, causing us to view ourselves through a lens that colors and distorts reality. Pride will paint even our ugliness in sin as beautiful and commendable.

Jonathan Edwards…It is by spiritual pride that the mind defends and justifies itself in other errors and defends itself against light by which it might be corrected and reclaimed. The spiritually proud man thinks he is full of light already and feels that he does not need instruction, so he is ready to ignore the offer of it.On the other hand, the humble person is like a little child who easily receives instruction. He is cautious in his estimate of himself, sensitive as to how liable he is to go astray. If it is suggested to him that he is going astray, he is most ready to check into the matter.

Spiritual pride takes many forms and shapes, one under another, and encompasses the heart like the layers of an onion: when you pull off one, there is another underneath. Therefore, we have need to have the greatest watch imaginable over our hearts with respect to this matter and to cry most earnestly to the great Searcher of hearts for His help. He that trusts his own heart is a fool.

Signs of pride in our own hearts
Fault finding with others -Spiritual pride causes one to speak of other persons' sins, their enmity against God and His people, or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt, while pure Christian humility disposes either to be silent about them or to speak of them with grief or pity.

A harsh spirit-proud persons to speak of almost everything they see in others in the most harsh, severe language.

Putting on pretense - Spiritual pride often causes persons to act different in external appearance,He does not try to set himself up to be viewed and observed as one distinguished, as desiring to be accounted better than others — despising their company or conformity to them — but on the contrary, desires to become all things to all men, to yield to others and conform to them and please them in all but sin

Takes offense easily-Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries that are received and is prone to be often speaking of them and to be much in taking notice of their aggravation, either with an air of bitterness or contempt.Pure and unmixed Christian humility, on the other hand, causes a person to be more like his blessed Lord when reviled: quiet, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to Him who judges righteously. For the humble Christian, the more the world is against him, the more silent and still he will be, unless it is in his prayer closet, and there he will not be still.

Presumption before God- work out salvation with fear and trembling

Hunger for attention-Another effect of spiritual pride is to make the subject of it want attention. People often tend to act in a special manner as though others ought to take great notice and regard of them. It is very natural to a person that is very much under the influence of spiritual pride to take all the respect that is paid to him.If others show a disposition to submit to him and yield in deference to him, he is open to it and freely receives it. It becomes natural for him to expect such treatment and to take much notice if a person fails to do so, and to have an ill opinion of those who do not give him that which he feels he deserves.

Pride is hungry for attention, respect, and worship in all its forms. Maybe it sounds like shameless boasting about ourselves. Maybe it’s being unable to say “no” to anyone because we need to be needed. Maybe it looks like obsessively thirsting for marriage — or fantasizing about a better marriage — because you’re hungry to be adored. Maybe it looks like being haunted by your desire for the right car or the right house or the right title at work: all because you seek the glory that comes from men, not God.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)