The sin of selfishness may be specially characterized as the sin most unlike Christ, but the sin of pride is directly of the devil. The one is anti-Christian, and the other is Satanic. Such, indeed, is the plain language of Scripture. In 1 Timothy 3:6 we read that being lifted up with pride was the cause of “the condemnation of the devil,” and in Ezekiel 28 we read the detailed account of how the heart of one who was once “full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty” was lifted up because of his beauty, his wisdom corrupted by reason of his brightness, and who therefore fell from heaven to hell.
Pride Springs From the Heart
Pride is in every human heart; all are afflicted with this disease, though by many, it is regarded rather as an ornament than a blemish. The Word of God says “a high look, and a proud heart” are sin (Prov. 21:4). With men of the world they are well thought off. They are hateful to God (Prov. 6:16-17; 16:5) and to Christ, typified by wisdom (Prov. 8:13).
The root of all pride is in the heart: “Out of the heart of men, proceed ... pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22). How can a young believer get rid of a proud heart? There is indeed but one way, and that is by sitting at the feet of Him who is meek and lowly in heart until we are ashamed any longer to cherish a quality so unlike Christ, but so like Satan.
Spiritual Pride
Let us consider two varieties of pride spoken of in the Word. We find the type of one variety, spiritual or religious pride, in the Pharisees of old, who were not ashamed to come before God with words like these: “God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are.” Surely no vestige of such an expression should find a place in our prayers.
We must remember that pride is one of the characteristics of the last days (2 Tim. 3:2), and therefore we have need to be greatly on our watch against it.
Spiritual pride is perhaps the worst variety, because it is not ashamed to show itself in connection with Christ’s name, a terrible thing when we think that such profess to be followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Let this sin, then, be kept far from us, and let none of us sin so fearfully against God as to use His truth to help us to commit the very sin of the devil — spiritual pride. When we really get into His presence, this can never be the case. “Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?” (2 Sam. 7:18). But when we are out of God’s presence, then boasting begins (2 Cor. 12:7).
Pride of Position
Another sort of pride arises from riches and position. We may see an instance of this in Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:13), in Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:30), in Belshazzar (Dan. 5:22), in Herod (Acts 12:21), and in many others. The question is, Is it seen in us? Do we in any of our acts betray this mean, debasing, and un-Christlike spirit to any who are poorer and humbler than ourselves? If we do, this clearly shows that we have never really understood the place where God’s sovereign grace has set us. It is alluded to in James 3.
Sensitive Feelings
When we talk of having very sensitive feelings and being hurt by remarks of others, it is often only pride and shows how miserably we are taken up with ourselves. Another variety of pride is shown in outward adornment, dressing after the fashion of the world and in a manner unsuited to Christian position. Another variety is being puffed up by any abilities or gifts God may have given us.
The Remedy
Having spoken of the evil, let us look for a moment at the Lord Jesus Christ for the remedy. We find, in the first place, that He Himself expressly declares that He is “meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29). We find Him showing this in various ways — by taking our nature, sin apart (Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:16), in His choice of station in life (John 9:29). How many of us who profess to show His spirit, if left to ourselves to choose our place in this world, would have made such a selection? We are called to be conformed to the image of our Lord. Who among us is so? We may well ask this question when we see Christians trying to be more than their fathers were and pushing their children still higher than themselves. We strictly obey the first half of James 1:9-10, but how many rich rejoice when they are made low?
Christ or Self
There is a line made evident from heaven concerning the stand of those who are on earth. On one side are those who, be what they may, would still be something more, or seem to be something they are not. They cannot enjoy what they have, because they desire more, and cannot be gratified because they are not satisfied. These are ashamed of the position their Master chose and are proud of a place He refused to occupy. Christ and those that bear His image are on the other side of the line. It is not that we are called to change our earthly occupation or position in life, but we are called to change our attitude or mind. But having emphasized this point, we must pass on.
The Lord took a lower place even than being a carpenter and became the servant of all (Matt. 20:28; Luke 22:27), even washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:5). On account of all this, He was despised (Mark 6:3; John 9:29), and those who follow Him will be despised too. They will be called mean or poor spirited and will be pushed aside and trodden down by the proud and ambitious. It matters not, if they have drunk at the pure spring of humility in Philippians 2; their souls will be so refreshed that they will be full of joy at bearing ever so little of the beauty of their Lord.
What God Thinks of the Humble
Hear what God has to say of them. He hears them (Psa. 9:12), they enjoy His presence (Isa. 57:15), He delivers them (Job 22:29), exalts them (Luke 14:11; 18:14), gives them more grace (James 4:6), while He resists the proud. Saints are exhorted to put on humility and be clothed with it (a beautiful word, meaning that on whatever side we are approached, humility is seen; 1 Peter 5:5), to walk in humility (Eph. 4:1-2), but to beware of false humility (Col. 2:18,23), which is only pride in disguise.
Nothing, perhaps, shows more the transforming power of the grace of Christ than when a man that was once naturally proud and haughty becomes really meek and lowly in spirit. And nothing tells more strongly of the way in which the letter of truth held apart from the proper display of Christ corrupts, than when we see a humble, quiet person, after coming among Christians, become vain and puffed up. It is a sight, sad to say, not less common than the former.
We plead, then, in closing, that our dear readers will seek to cultivate the two graces of which we have already spoken — unselfishness and humility — and thus make progress in becoming like Christ, putting away from them, as hateful things, the anti-Christian sin of selfishness and the Satanic sin of pride.
But who is sufficient for these things? Thank God, the answer is not far to seek: “Our sufficiency is of God”; the meek will He teach His way. May we look to Him there in all meekness to put upon us more of the grace of Christ and fit us better to become humble followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Oh, may that mind in us be found,
That shone so bright in Thee —
The humble, meek, and lowly mind
From pride and envy free.”
A. T. Schofield (adapted)