For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 14:11
What is the greatest example of pride that you have ever heard of? Most of us have encountered people who were so full of themselves that everything they did was to promote themselves and to destroy anyone who got in their way. We have known people whose pride drove them to ridiculous lengths to flaunt themselves and to demean others. But the greatest example of pride must be the devil, that old serpent who continues to challenge God for supremacy. Lucifer was the highest of created beings, beautiful and brilliant, according to Ezekiel 28:15,16: Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. We read in Isaiah 14 of this evil one’s pride and destruction: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I wll exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. The devil knows the results of his pride, even the end of it, but he seeks today to have others enter into his shame and destruction, because his driving goal is now to deprive God of glory as much as he can.
The devil’s false gospel of pride is being preached throughout the world today. We must always be aware of the source of this message, and of the destruction which will accompany pride.
What is the greatest example of humility that you know of. Regardless of the wonderful people who have known who seem always to put the needs and interests of others before themselves, you can surely point to no greater example of humility than the Lord Jesus Christ. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Philippians 2 gives us the following wonderful description of the humility and exaltation of the Lord Jesus: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let this mind be in you – what a lovely exortation to embrace humility for His sake that we might be exalted with Him! -Jim MacIntosh