Pride Keeps Us Away
Jesus saved His harshest rebukes for Pharisees. In Matthew 23 we have a chapter full of woes aimed right at them.
Matthew 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
Religious pretension and presentation has no place in the heart of Jesus' kingdom. A kingdom where the inside matters more than the outside. A kingdom where the values of man is nothing before God. A kingdom where "I" am not the center nor do "I" seek to be.
A kingdom very much unlike the kingdoms of our world.
The desire of the world has been to boast of itself. From Babel's city to the towers of America. To worship us. Following the lead of Satan who desired to be first and greatest in heaven. Instead of leading worship of God, he led a revolt and rebellion - and sells us on his agenda as often as we'll bite.
To put yourself first is to follow satan.
On a show tonight, a woman asked a proud yet conflicted homosexual, "And what does the Bible say? Honor yourself, love yourself, know yourself." Unbelievable.
Yet is is pride in religious circles that is most intolerable to God. To the Laodiceans who felt self-satisfied in their accumulation, wealth and prestige, Jesus warns them to repent before they are spit out of His mouth.
Nothing is more foul to God, more antithetical to His character and being than for His creation to glorify itself before Him.
YET still, Jesus ends His woes with a plea for repentance and return to Himself:
Matthew 23:27 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! "
The worst thing about pride? It keeps us distant from Jesus. It keeps us out of His loving reach. He wants us but we draw back. This is why Jesus is so strong, so vocally critical of the Pharisees. And this is why we must seek to squash every ounce of pride in us.
May we hear the heart of God in the midst of our pride... humble ourselves, and come home.
PRAYER:
God, this is my prayer. To rest in your arms and draw close to you. To submit myself to you. To humbly rely on your unfailing love. To let self perish in the grave and the life and love of Jesus shine through. MORE than ever.
Matthew 23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
Religious pretension and presentation has no place in the heart of Jesus' kingdom. A kingdom where the inside matters more than the outside. A kingdom where the values of man is nothing before God. A kingdom where "I" am not the center nor do "I" seek to be.
A kingdom very much unlike the kingdoms of our world.
The desire of the world has been to boast of itself. From Babel's city to the towers of America. To worship us. Following the lead of Satan who desired to be first and greatest in heaven. Instead of leading worship of God, he led a revolt and rebellion - and sells us on his agenda as often as we'll bite.
To put yourself first is to follow satan.
On a show tonight, a woman asked a proud yet conflicted homosexual, "And what does the Bible say? Honor yourself, love yourself, know yourself." Unbelievable.
Yet is is pride in religious circles that is most intolerable to God. To the Laodiceans who felt self-satisfied in their accumulation, wealth and prestige, Jesus warns them to repent before they are spit out of His mouth.
Nothing is more foul to God, more antithetical to His character and being than for His creation to glorify itself before Him.
YET still, Jesus ends His woes with a plea for repentance and return to Himself:
Matthew 23:27 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! "
The worst thing about pride? It keeps us distant from Jesus. It keeps us out of His loving reach. He wants us but we draw back. This is why Jesus is so strong, so vocally critical of the Pharisees. And this is why we must seek to squash every ounce of pride in us.
May we hear the heart of God in the midst of our pride... humble ourselves, and come home.
PRAYER:
God, this is my prayer. To rest in your arms and draw close to you. To submit myself to you. To humbly rely on your unfailing love. To let self perish in the grave and the life and love of Jesus shine through. MORE than ever.
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