Austin Bible Church
Pride is an inordinate self-esteem or conceit. It is an arrogance coming from the old sin nature. Pride is lofty self-respect, a feeling of elation or exaltation because of what one is or what one has. Ego is not pride. There is a difference between self-consciousness and pride. Pride must not be confused with self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is simply awareness of one’s existence, personality, or one’s being. Self-consciousness is not a sin. Satan’s original sin was the mental attitude sin of pride. Isaiah 14:12-17.
""How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'" (Isaiah 14:12-17, NASB)
When self-consciousness is linked up with the lust patterns of the old sin nature, then self-consciousness becomes a sin. Pride equals self-consciousness plus one or more factors in the lust pattern. Pride overtly expressed includes haughty and overbearing behavior which is always disorientation to grace. Pride is in direct controversy and antithetical to the concept of grace.
Pride is an undue sense of one’s own superiority and is always a sin. Pride glorifies human good. However pride is not poise, or speaking with authority, or standing erect. One who is properly self-conscious has a balanced sense of personal existence, personal dignity, worth, and self-respect. Pride (haughty eyes) is at the top of the list in Proverbs 6:16-19.
"There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19, NASB)
The believer should learn to distinguish from boasting which comes from the confidence generated from the daily function of the grace apparatus for perception and the building of the edification complex in the soul. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, this type of “boasting” is bona fide. In contrast, there is a “boasting” which comes from the old sin nature. 2 Corinthians 12:5 has both types of boasting where Paul is saying I will boast from my confidence in Bible doctrine and I will not boast from pride which is a mental attitude sin.
"On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses." (2 Corinthians 12:5, NASB)
Pride as a Hindrance
When the right lobe of the soul is conquered by pride from emotional revolt, it destroys the freedom of human volition. Pride becomes a conqueror and causes soul slavery. That is why mental attitude sins are the worst. Pride destroys objectivity and replaces it with subjectivity. When pride gains complete control of the soul, free will does not operate on a bona fide basis. Instead of making decisions based on facts, free will decisions are made on the basis of who and what you are.
When pride gets into the soul, the believer no longer asks “what are the facts?” or “what is the doctrine?” Instead, they ask “who and what am I?” It is who God is that counts! When people are operating on ego lust, then Bible doctrine does not stimulate their thinking. No one can understand the issue of the Gospel or be interested in doctrine when they are operating on ego lust.
The Pride of Nebuchadnezzar
In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar was not yet ready for Gospel hearing. He had to go through seven years of living like an animal before he considered the facts rather than himself. The principle of punishment for Nebuchadnezzar is that because of his emotional revolt and mental illness, he tried to exalt himself above man and became so mentally ill that he went below man to live like an animal for seven years. The purpose of this illness was so that God could keep His Word. God promises that when anyone reaches God-consciousness and goes on positive signals, God will provide Gospel information whereby they can be saved. John 7:17.
““If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” (John 7:17, NASB)
God did “leave the stump” so that when Nebuchadnezzar’s ego got out of the way, he could evaluate the facts and make a decision. Daniel 4:23-26.
“‘In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,” this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. ‘And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules.” (Daniel 4:23-26, NASB)
This terrible illness had to take place in order for the issue to be clear, in order for Nebuchadnezzar to be objective toward the Gospel. Nebuchadnezzar could not make a decision until he could see the true issue. Pride blinded him to the issue. Through this judgment, God removed the pride so his volition could decide concerning the Gospel. God keeps His promises to show the Gospel to anyone with positive volition at God-consciousness.
Pride Rejects Grace
Pride in the carnal believer results in the rejection of eternal security. They think their sins are greater than what the plan of God can handle. Pride causes the believer to succumb or knuckle under to pressures and adversity in life. The proud believer thinks their sufferings are greater than God's grace provision can cover.
This is the pride of the pseudo-spiritual believer. The negative proud believer thinks their human system is greater than the power of the Holy Spirit in him. The pride of the believer results when under emotional revolt of the soul. The negative proud believer thinks their emotions, their feelings, and their experiences are more important than Bible doctrine.
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, “that though He was rich” is πλούσιος ὤν (plousios ōn), the present active participle of eimi, an absolute status quo verb. This was the status quo of God in eternity past. This is the maximum concept of wealth. The phrase means abounding in riches. “Yet for your sake” is διά plus accusative plural of συ and means “because of you all” and refers to the substitutionary plan of salvation on the Cross.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9, NASB)
“He became poor” is the aorist active indicative of πτωχεύω (ptōcheuō) and means abject poverty. Jesus Christ had something to give, His humanity in sinless innocence. This refers to the three hours on the Cross when He bore our sins. He did this voluntarily resulting in the reality of Christ Himself being judged for our sins.