How Does Pride Prevent You From Knowing God?

The real question about pride comes down, can any authority on earth be trusted? Why?

At some point, the church must accept spiritual authority. The delivery of God's authority has many places it is revealed; over time this shapes our Christian ONLY world view. It's revealed in rightly dividing the scripture, a knowledge of God, righteous rebuke by a brother, and most importantly by God himself. And we must be open, willing to test the spirit of those around us and see if they be of God. And if they are, to accept what they say. Often though, we have a barrier so thick that only God himself could rebuke us, and friend, that is a man-made wall and serves no heavenly purpose. Admittedly this post is aimed at how pride shows up in every day Christian conversation, so thus my points tend to focus on that element of pride.

*(Important Author Note)

Pride at it's very core removes Christ from the throne and if that were not enough, elevates self to his seat. Pride at it's core creates a man to be God himself.

Now if we knew that every time we reacted pridefully to something we're actually screaming at the top of our spiritual lungs "NO! I WANT TO BE GOD!" Then friend, we likely we think of different ways to blaspheme and to sin...but the majority do not realize this.

I am, was and will still, be guilty of this. I do not tell you these things out of triumph over my sin, but out of recognition of my depravity.

{section edited and is under review}

Remember the movie with Rowdy Rod Piper? Where he puts on these glasses and he can see the aliens? Pride is a lot like that. To the outside, we have the appearance of holiness...but we deny its power, because in us, is PRIDE, and in that is the genuine desire to be LORD over your own life. This prevents you from knowing God....God does not save you because you are equal, lesser or greater than he. He saves you because of his will and for his purposes. You cannot save yourself. Can you even rebuke yourself? That is why you must DAILY search yourself and see if the truth be in you...

Again, we have nothing to be proud of. We have no understanding, we have no knowledge, we own nothing. Christ's Church are GOD's Possession, a Chosen People, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, CHOSEN, so that YOU might proclaim the excellencies of HIM who has called you out of darkness into HIS marvelous light. Friend...the authority of God and our position relative to his should help us understand what we have to be proud of.

Final note, when considering how pride infects your life, don't think big. Think small. Think about how you complain because the music at church isn't to your liking, rather than being at church to PRAISE the ALMIGHTY, or when you look down your nose at someone because they seem to have a little less than you, rather than reaching out and ministering to the POOR, or when you accept the social culture of our society as normal and acceptable to be around, rather than being ON FIRE for GOD and set apart, or when you don't open your mouth and share the Gospel, even though you feel the spirit tell you to do it.

Next post:

Worship Christ or Worship his life?

Does Pride Have A Place In A Christian's Life

I'm going to begin speaking only in spiritual terms. Those who will press for understanding will press their own scripture and the holy spirit for understanding. Since it is not I that give understanding, but the one true God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and the words of God. Bear in mind that this is a turning away from a non-Christian world view and a whole hearted adoption of a Christian only world view. All things should be interpreted in light of scripture. That statement alone will probably get a "duh" by the reader; reader, is that the way you LIVE though?

Does pride have a place in a christian' life?

Well, let's start with defining terms. Pride in the english language has many meanings. Lets consult the authority...mr. webster. Now I'm only considering the most commonly used terms and not say for example the definition of a group of lions...

pride

  [prahyd] Show IPA noun, verb, prid⋅ed, prid⋅ing.

–noun

1.	a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

2.	the state or feeling of being proud.

3.	a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

4.	pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.

5.	something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.

6.	the best of a group, class, society, etc.: This bull is the pride of the herd.

7.	the most flourishing state or period: in the pride of adulthood.

8.	mettle in a horse.

9.	Literary. splendor, magnificence, or pomp.

10.	a group of lions.

11.	sexual desire, esp. in a female animal.

12.	ornament or adornment.

Consider for a moment what the usefulness of pride is in a persons life. Does it have any life saving qualities? Can it enrich others lives? Does it honor God?

Why do we need to consider these things? Aren't we here to live our lives and enjoy ourselves?

I was once taught that we serve a dual role in our lives. We're to enjoy our life and to serve God. Generally, I have no problem with that, but is often the case in liberal theology and in the work of Satan himself, these tenants of truth often become the moving part upon which inaccurate world views, theological positions and actions are predicated. Get ready, there won't be a full frontal assault. Satan can take you one piece at a time, he doesn't need the whole thing right now and since you're so willing to let him have some, he'll come back for seconds [helpings].

Back to the question, is it useful? In response to each of those questions we have but few examples of Christian pride. Paul tells us to boast in nothing, but in spirit only. Boasting is an eventuality of pride, but it is not pride itself. God resists the proud...does his resist the pride or the spirit of the proud?

Pride as a word is simply an expression of a condition. A condition which explains the mindset of an experience. I am proud of my accomplishment! But what do we have to be proud of? It's in this very question we will discovery the answer to the thesis question.

Colossians 1:17; He is in all things and all things in him are held together.

Ephesians 1:4 He has chosen us before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him

Philippians 1:6 ...for he who started a good work in you....will be faithful to complete it.

Understand, if you're sculpting away, as I do with music, and you stand back and admire your finished, or in my case always NEAR finished product and exclaim wow! There's nothing wrong with that. But consider that your response should identify who the author of that wow really is?

In my case I'm a singer, I'm a guitarist, I'm a lyricist, I'm a music producer...ALL of these things are gifts from God. He is in them, and they are all held together by him! He has CHOSEN, me out of this world. So what do I have to be proud of? I'm simply acting out of my implicit creation. God has made me with these gifts and being a child of the light I honor him. I give credit all back to him, for the pot is a reflection of the creator intent and perfect ability to create. You may also wonder do we deserve the credit for our wrong doing as a balance to this discussion and I'll cover that in the future. Understand, earthly pride has no place in the Christian life or worldview. Your pride as it were, is being proud of something that isn't yours. It would be like me watching a man build a house then coming up to him to take credit for such a thing. We would think that ridiculous and out of our minds! Yet this friend is exactly what we're doing when we take credit for our lives and accomplishments...

We'll talk more about this because this plantar wart is not easily removed...

In My Next Post:

How Does Pride Prevent You From Knowing God?

Atheism Abounds!

It's been my observance that over the course of the last few years that the Atheist movement has grown not only in size but in pure audacity. The boldness of those who call themselves atheists has turned from a mostly silent head nod against believers to outright snickering and belittling. This fact is troubling to me and I challenge every reader of this who is a child of the light to challenge those who don't believe. Not all are created to be children of the light, even Christ attests to this...but our job is to be light where there is dark, truth where lies are spread and a pillar of faith where scruples are demanded. God does not call us to blind faith, but I encourage you TO NOT argue with an Atheist on the basis of THEIR atheism. It's pointless. However, demonstrate truth before them, so that anyone who has eyes to see, will see and ears to hear, will hear.

On with our discussion.

Here's what is wrong with not believing the Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died, and rose again to save us;
1. Atheism in it's truest form doesn't deny Christ's life, rather Christ's deity. Atheism says that Christ was a good guy, but probably slightly demented. However, they have no answer other than trying to discredit the sources used, that Christ is was who he says he was. The simple fact of the matter is the question of the empty tomb;
2. Contemporary historians both Roman and Jewish corroborate the Gospels account of Christs life and works. FACT. There's is passage in Luke that talks about the Pharisee's bribing people to spread lies that the apostles took Christ's body...a fact that was spread even unto THIS day.
2a. Problem; Jesus' body was guarded by Roman soldiers...armed and willing to die to protect the tomb, since they would most assuredly face that fate if they didn't. That was contemporary Roman law. So it seems unlikely at BEST that a fisherman, tax collector and doctor, overpower the best trained killers of their day so that they could steal Christ's body. Bear in mind another fact...the apostles by the Gospel account were defeated. They had given up...they thought that they and furthermore Christ had failed, since they did not understand that Christ would rise again!!!! So it's not plausible they had a desire to steal the body of Christ, they wouldn't at that point had a reason to do so.
3. The Gospel accounts for women discovering the body...while certainly acceptable in Modern Society, in ancient Jewish times, that would have been like a dog getting credit for something...that just wouldn't have been the best way to make up a story. Women weren't even allowed to be used as witnesses in courts!
4. Most of these men died because of what they believed. Not of old age, except John...they died because they were asked to renounce what they believed was the truth and they said NO! Now why would someone die for something that they KNEW to be a lie? There's a modern, story about this very precept that you may be familiar with...Salem witch trials. John Proctor was told he could live...if he just admitted he'd practiced in witchcraft. He hadn't of course, but he was going to die if he didn't say he did. He was going to die, because the people prosecuting him wanted him to deny truth so that they could have their way. And his will was tested and he decided it was was better to die with the truth on your lips than to live with a lie in the air. Now isn't that strange...John knew the truth, and he died for it. Do you think he would have done the same thing if he HAD practiced witch craft? This is akin to the apostles dying to protect their lie...you might get 1 or 2 people to do that...but not 12. That stretches even the most of fanciful definitions of credulity. Yet Atheists believe this very thing. Because they don't EXAMINE the evidence.
5. Faith, this by far is the biggest stumbling block for all people, including Christians. But it is also the biggest area of concern for Atheists. I am not sure if Atheism as a practice does not allow for faith in any form, or just faith in God only. Clearly all people operate with some level of faith. But there is a clear delineation, and this is important so listen closely, between FAITH - the belief in things unseen and BELIEF which is the building blocks of FAITH. Here's an example;

A man was doing a high-wire show and he demonstrated that he could walk, run, jump and even drive a bike across the high wire. The crowd goes wild. The announcer says, "how many of you believe he will make it across" all of them raised their hands; "how many of you would like to get on the bike with him" the hands go down.

Faith is the belief in things unseen. You have to believe that things can be done and with ACTION you demonstrate your belief and THAT is called Faith.

Atheism at it's very definition denys the existance of God. So be clear, you're not trying to convince an Atheist to become a Christian...baby steps little ones. You're demonstrating the truth that there is a God, and his name is Yahweh...and that like it or NOT he's YOUR God.

My final point here; Atheism at it's core scoffs at faith, but there are intellectuals out there who truly are seeking the light, but they need Christs love. So do not use the devils tactics to demonstrate God's love. That is, approach with mutual respect, and in Love. Love covers a multitude of sins...Keep your anger and frustration away from the conversation. Atheists need Christs love as well and just because they attack you, you needn't resort to angry confrontation. You after all have God on your side.

Love thy neighbor as thyself. This is the one place in the Bible where Christ IS talking about everyone, including Atheists. You have the strength of truth, right and the Almighty on your side; attacks only demonstrate your weakness of faith. Resort rather to truth, and the evidence that our creator has left for us. Not the least of which his is word and creation.

peace and love.