Pride is the problem. Pride has always been the problem. It was pride that caused some of the angels to think that they could be God. It was pride that caused Adam and Eve to think that they could be as wise as God. It was pride that caused the Jewish leaders to believe that no good thing could come out of Nazareth. It is pride that makes men believe that they are better at running their lives than the God that created them. It is pride that makes men reject God’s plan of salvation. It is pride that leads men to conclude that God’s gift of salvation is too good to be true and that it requires more from them. It is pride that causes some to conclude that men who don’t worship as they do can not be Christians. It is pride that causes some Christians to conclude that they can become better men through their own effort. It is pride that causes some to believe that Christ’s death was just not enough and that their own effort is required for heaven. It is pride that causes men to say that faith in Christ is not enough, that you most do more. They can’t tell you how much more is enough. But you can be sure that what you’re doing is, for the prideful, not enough.
We often think of pride as a personal problem; but it’s more than that. It affects others. The joy of the Christian life is doing what pleases our Master out of love for Him and not a fear of being found inadequate. The Christian has a commission. He follows His Master’s call because that is what he, as a new man, wants to do. There is persecution and challenge in the Christian life; but there is also joy, peace and and assurance. Don’t let the pride of others rob you of that. Jesus didn’t die for that.
Nick
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