Pride

[visionary]

In just finding texts that talk about pride, I have come to understand that It probably is the leading cause of all wars, all distructive behavior, all strife, and all contention. It probaly has caused more divorces, more violent acts than any other cause.

Isaiah 14:12 "King of Babylonia, you thought you were the bright morning star.
But now you have fallen from heaven!
You once brought nations down.
But now you have been thrown down to the earth!
13 You said in your heart,
'I will go up to heaven.
I'll raise my throne
above the stars of God.
I'll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet.
I'll set up my throne on the highest slopes of the sacred mountain.
14 I will rise above the tops of the clouds.
I'll make myself like the Most High God.'
15 But now you have been brought down to the grave.
You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit. It all started in heaven when Satan got pride in his heart. 2 Kings 19:22 Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!It is in us too..and the Lord will work very heart to break it. Leviticus 26:19
I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.It is probably way better to repent while there is still time, when the Lord brings to your attention that it is your pride spreaking... for if left undealt with,... then the Lord will deal with it. Take for example Uzziah. 2 Chronicles 26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.Where as if we repent like Hezekiah ...2 Chronicles 32:26 Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD's wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.It not only heals us of our illness [which pride causes from within us] but it also affects those around us.

I am sure you know people that you can think of that fit this discription. Job 20:6 Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,You just can not talk to these people, they are always right, they do not hear anything that they do not want to, they do not learn, and they can not be trusted. Psalm 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.You can hear it in their voice and in their attitude towards their fellowmen around them. Psalm 31:18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.The Lord's advise against this particular sin. Deuteronomy 8:11 Make sure you don't forget the Lord your God. Don't fail to obey his commands, laws and rules. I'm giving them to you today. That sums it up.. Make God your priority and humble submit yourself to Him. For if you are busy being obedient to Him you will not think highly of yourself because you know all things comes from Him who has redeemed you daily.12 But suppose you don't obey his commands. And suppose you have plenty to eat. You build fine houses and settle down in them. 13 Your herds and flocks increase their numbers. You also get more and more silver and gold. And everything you have multiplies. 14 Then your hearts will become proud. And you will forget the Lord your God. and that is when you get into trouble with pride.

[visionary]

Have you done any of these...

Proverbs 21:24
The proud and arrogant man-"Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride.

Proverbs 13:10
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Psalm 31:18
Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

[Ahavah]

Parsha for the week.
It kind of fits with what you are saying Vis.:wave:



29 July 07

Parashat Hashavuah


Ekev - עקב : “Because”
Torah : Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25
Haftarah : Isaiah 49:14-51:3
Gospels : Acts 6–7
Self-Righteousness

Thought for the Week:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 8:10-14, NIV)
Commentary:

Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land …” (Deuteronomy 9:4)Moses earnestly warns Israel against feeling self-righteous. He warns them not to attribute their successes to their own merit. He tells them, “it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people” (9:6). If not for Moses’ intercession and atonement on their behalf, Israel would not have even survived the journey from Egypt. They had Moses to thank for their deliverance thus far. Furthermore, Moses reminded them that the LORD was giving them the land of Canaan to fulfill His covenant obligations to the patriarchs. There could be no talk of merit and righteousness.
In addition, he said, “It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land … the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 9:5). In other words, God was blessing Israel, not because they merited His blessing but because He was fulfilling covenantal obligations to the patriarchs.
These lessons are important for believers to remember. It is easy to start to feel self-righteous about our relationship with God. Perhaps those who practice the Torah have an even greater tendency to do so. We must be vigilant to guard against any such vain imaginings of ourselves. God did not save us because of our righteousness, nor does our righteousness sustain our salvation. Instead, God sent His Son Yeshua precisely because of our unrighteousness. Just as Moses interceded for Israel, sparing them from the wrath of God in the wilderness, so too Messiah intercedes for us by means of His sacrificial death.
Paul demonstrates that our salvation does not come from our own righteousness. We do not earn salvation through obedience to Torah. Instead, the Torah condemns sin. All men have sinned and fallen short, and all men stand equally condemned by Torah. No one’s righteousness is adequate. Therefore, salvation is based upon the Torah’s covenantal promises to Abraham. He says, “The promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observance of] the Torah, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13).

[debi b]

That is why my definition for repentance is die to yourself :)

Intellectually knowing a principal is only 1/2 of the equation ...

[visionary]

Parsha for the week.
It kind of fits with what you are saying Vis.:wave:



29 July 07

Parashat Hashavuah


Ekev - עקב : “Because”
Torah : Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25
Haftarah : Isaiah 49:14-51:3
Gospels : Acts 6–7
Self-Righteousness

Thought for the Week:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 8:10-14, NIV)
Commentary:

Do not say in your heart when the LORD your God has driven them out before you, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land …” (Deuteronomy 9:4)Moses earnestly warns Israel against feeling self-righteous. He warns them not to attribute their successes to their own merit. He tells them, “it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people” (9:6). If not for Moses’ intercession and atonement on their behalf, Israel would not have even survived the journey from Egypt. They had Moses to thank for their deliverance thus far. Furthermore, Moses reminded them that the LORD was giving them the land of Canaan to fulfill His covenant obligations to the patriarchs. There could be no talk of merit and righteousness.
In addition, he said, “It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land … the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 9:5). In other words, God was blessing Israel, not because they merited His blessing but because He was fulfilling covenantal obligations to the patriarchs.
These lessons are important for believers to remember. It is easy to start to feel self-righteous about our relationship with God. Perhaps those who practice the Torah have an even greater tendency to do so. We must be vigilant to guard against any such vain imaginings of ourselves. God did not save us because of our righteousness, nor does our righteousness sustain our salvation. Instead, God sent His Son Yeshua precisely because of our unrighteousness. Just as Moses interceded for Israel, sparing them from the wrath of God in the wilderness, so too Messiah intercedes for us by means of His sacrificial death.
Paul demonstrates that our salvation does not come from our own righteousness. We do not earn salvation through obedience to Torah. Instead, the Torah condemns sin. All men have sinned and fallen short, and all men stand equally condemned by Torah. No one’s righteousness is adequate. Therefore, salvation is based upon the Torah’s covenantal promises to Abraham. He says, “The promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observance of] the Torah, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13).Amazing how it all in the Lord's timing.:thumbsup:

[visionary]

When you encounter a stubborn pride, how do you respond? Is there any way of reaching past their wall of arrogance and helping them?