ARROGANCE, PRIDE AND DESTRUCTION

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

First of all, God is speaking to the Jewish people regarding a prayer of Solomon. In Chapter 6 Solomon ask God to make provisions for the people when they sinned. God answered with four conditions for forgiveness.

1. Humble yourself by admitting your sins.

2. Pray to God asking for forgiveness.

3. Seek God continually.

4. Turn from sinful behavior.

True repentance is more than talk. It is a changed mind and heart about a behavior. When this happens, you will not continue to sin, because you see it as God sees it. Follow these steps and God will answer your earnest prayers.

When you ask God for forgiveness of sin you are showing humility toward God. Sin causes the fellowship between God and man to create a lack of God’s presence. We must stay humble before our God to maintain our fellowship with Him.

Jeremiah 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Being humble means make lowly in mind. Reduce the arrogance and self-dependance. Meek and submissive to the divine will of God. God’s ability to direct your life is far superior to your ability. Don’t be afraid to let God correct your plans. He will give you wisdom if you are willing.

Psalms 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

The steps of a righteous man or Godly man, are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives, even though we are human and are likely to stumble and make mistakes, we will not fall. For the Lord holds us by the hand.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. This bowing down before God is humbling yourself. Bowing before the Lord, means recognizing that your worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on His power and guidance and not going your own independent way. Let God know you need Him. Have confidence in what has already been done. Then God can work for you in your life.

When you don’t humble yourselves, and have confidence in your own abilities and not in God, it means we are getting over into arrogance and pride.

Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Wicked people are too proud to seek God, they may even seem to think God is dead or not interested in helping. Some people succeed in everything they do, and brag about and say nothing is going to keep them down. Bragging is prideful. Pride! A higher opinion of oneself, conceit, exaggerated self-esteem, haughtiness and arrogance.

Psalms 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

When pride shows up, it leads to disgrace, then causes shame. Pride is self-centeredness. A humble person is God centered; a prideful person is self-centered. Being self-centered will maintain pride. When that happens, grace is not with you. Pride is a deceptive state of arrogance which will rob you of the blessings God wants to give you. It puts you in a negative position where God’s grace cannot keep you.

Pride is saying I can do it my way better than God’s way. That kind of thinking will deceive you and let you down. Gods way will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Both young and old can benefit from Peter’s instruction. Pride often keeps older people from trying to understand young people and keeps younger people from listening to those who are older. Peter told both young and old to be humble and to serve each other. Young men should follow the leadership of older men, who should lead by example. They should be humble enough to admit that you can learn from others.

We must learn to be humble. If you will move to be dependent on God it means you are humble.

Proverbs 15:32-33 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

If you reject criticism you will only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you will grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches a person to be wise, humility precedes honor.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.

Haughty: excessive pride and arrogance. Before destruction the heart of man/woman is haughty, and before honor is humble. It is not up to us to know our way to be able to give direction to self. That is getting over into self-centeredness which is nothing more than pride. This takes us away from being dependent on God.

In the natural it is so easy to rely on self. Why? Because we are comfortable in our own way of doing things. We humans are creatures of habits and old traditions, and we humans are comfortable in those old habits and traditions. However, when these habits get to the point of not depending on God in your life it is time to change.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

God will supply all your needs according to His riches by Christ Jesus. Who made grace possible? God owns everything. Grace makes it possible through the manifestation of faith. When you move from being dependent on God, you move away from being dependent on yourselves. That takes us from humility and ushers us into pride.

Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

This means you have fallen from grace; the issue is when you fall from humility to pride, you’re not going to flow where grace is. This will put you under the law instead of grace.

Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

When you go back under the Law, Christ and what he made available for us through grace becomes of no effect. Stop trying to figure things on your own. That is under the law.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

You cannot be justified by the works of the law. Only through Jesus Christ by faith, that you might be justified.

Stay in the word,

Pastor Andy