We are now at Week Seven of our series. This week we will discuss how our own foolish pride can prevent us from coming to the Lord. How is this possible? Being who and what we are, we sometimes think we're "all that and a bag of chips." In other words, we think we can get along on our own merits without Christ in our lives.
Before we begin our study, let's pray together: God, you have made the heavens and the earth. You have revealed your beauty in creation and inspired the book that we are now about to study. Please help us now as we read together. Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for us. Amen.
Both Peter and Paul, quote Proverbs 3:34 which says that "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Similarly, this view was conveyed by distressed, patient Job (Job 22:29) and Psalm 138. And, if there's any barrier that will hamper our coming to the Lord, it will most assuredly be our own foolish human pride.
Also, I might mention here that during this time period, excessive pride (hubris) was frequently the undoing of many great heroes of ancient literature. It's quite possible that the writers themselves may have been influenced by these sacred writings.
Taking a closer look at "pride," we discover that Thayer defines the Greek word "huperephania" as "...the characteristic of one who, with a swollen estimate of his own powers or merits, looks down on others and even treats them with insolence and contempt." This is why pride is frequently described as looking down one's nose at another. Here's something for you. Whenever you're feeling a little too high and mighty, a quick read of Romans 3:23 should knock you down a notch or two!
Have you ever given thought as to why pride impedes us from coming to God for salvation? It's because salvation asks for submitting one's will to another's, specifically Jehovah. People in awe with their own excellence and power are not very likely to stifle their own desires in order to accommodate those of anyone else, even the creator of the universe.
In Romans 14:11, Paul brings to mind that "Every knee shall bow to [God] and every tongue shall confess to God." Thus, a proud person realizes the difficulty of admitting that he is lesser than another, even God, and so he refuses to submit himself to the Lord.
Different things can become sources of human pride. These can include, money, power, appearance, education, connections, heredity, prospects and accomplishments, to name just a few. Trusting any of these will cause us to become too big-headed (prideful) even for Christ. Consequently, trusting in them prevents us from giving ourselves fully to him without any second-thoughts.
The simplicity of the gospel message is a dangerous sin to those who are proud of their intellect. During the first century, the gospel tripped up the Jews because they needed signs more than actual teaching. Additionally, it caused to Greeks to falter because they loved the controversy and poetry of philosophy rather than simply stated sayings and commands (1 Corinthians 1:22).
Conversely, humility takes every origin of pride and sets it in its proper place. Money vanishes when spent; power fades quickly when compared to God's authority; appearance means nothing when Jesus was born into a ordinary body; education is hollow compared to the wisdom from above; connections are defective unless made first with heaven; heredity is surpassed by adoption into God's house. The only possibility that matters is a heavenly hope; and only Christ's attainment is powerful enough to save.
This week, we shall examine two of the best-known parables in the Bible. Honestly, each teaches more than just humility. However, it is this trait that will be our focus of discussion.
Luke 15:11-32 is known as the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here, Jesus enlightens us about returning to our Father after leaving in search of sinful fulfillment. Everyone who sins can recognize themselves wallowing around in the pig slop of iniquity.
We are overjoyed at his return to his father with repentance in his heart, and are inspired when his father meets him with total acceptance. God invites the prodigal in us all to come without delay and be redeemed. We must do so in humility, even though the proud man would never return and beg for mercy.
Luke 18:9-14 is the parable about the Pharisee and Tax Collector. In this particular passage, we listen in as two men pray to God. Jesus was specifically talking to "some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others." Telling God everything you've done well is vain, because he can see, judge and even understand the sins we try to hide.
But, telling God all you've done wrong is humble, because it begs him to forgive and strengthen. The humble man went home justified because he repented his sin. The proud man didn't because he kept his sin hidden, therefore remaining with him.
Questions:
1. Who's to blame for God's resistance of the proud?
2. In your own words, what is pride?
3. What single verse ought to destroy every idea of human pride and jealousy?
4. Why does pride make it impossible for one to come to Jesus and be saved?
5. What can become a source of human pride?
6. Is it wrong to possess any of these things? What makes them so dangerous?
7. Whom is represented by the prodigal son? Whom is represented by his father?
8. What happened to the prodigal son after he left home?
9. What realization finally struck him when he hit rock bottom? What did he decide to do then?
10. Does the older brother react to his sibling's conversion from pride to humility?
11. What two men went up to pray? Describe the stereotypical view of their professions then.
12. What was the general tone of the first man's prayer?
13. What was the general tone of the second man's prayer?
14. Why did the latter go home justified while the former was not?
Until next time...
May your week be blessed!
Bibi
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.