God Opposes the Proud
We hear a lot about pride, as if it’s a good thing. It’s not. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, also known as a capital vice or a cardinal sin. Pride is not something to treat lightly. Traditionally, it’s viewed as one of the seven ways of eternal death.
The Bible mentions pride over sixty times, mostly in highly critical contexts. We should never take pride in ourselves or what we do. Scripture also mentions proud over forty times, never in a positive manner.
Celebrating pride is even worse. That’s like being proud of our pride.
Peter warns against those who proudly boast in their sins. They brag in it. They appeal to lustful desires of the flesh (2 Peter 2:18).
Here are some of the things the Bible says about pride and being proud:
- “Love…is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18).
- “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
- “The pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16)
- “Pride brings a person low” (Proverbs 29:23).
- “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (Proverbs 8:13).
- “Do not be proud” (Romans 12:16).
- “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5).
- “Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous” (Psalm 31:18).
- “I will break down your stubborn pride” (Leviticus 26:19).
- “The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full” (Psalm 31:23).
And, one more passage:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
(2 Timothy 3:1-5)
There is no place for pride when we walk with God and follow him.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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