Pride: A Reason for Concern

by Bud Lambert

Do you have false pride? Do you have an exaggerated self-esteem based on ungodly standards? If you answered yes, you probably don't. If you answered no, you might. Pride blinds us to our faults. And even if we happen to become aware of faults, pride won't allow us to admit them.
The apostle Paul strongly rebuked the Corinthian Christians for being proud ( 1 Corinthians 5:1-7). Their exaggerated sense of self blinded them to an obvious incestuous relationship between a man and his father's wife. Every Christian and every church should be alert to the dangers of false pride.
One reason for concern is that it is a sign of worldliness. The structural context of 1 Corinthians 5:1-7 suggests that this problem of false pride developed in the Corinthian church because they were judging themselves according to the wisdom of the world, instead of according to the wisdom of God
(cf. 1 Corinthians 1-4). Churches and individuals are worldly then they ignore weaknesses, think that being a good Christian means pretending to be perfect, and thmk that "church" is where self-righteous people come to proclaim how perfect they are and to put others down.
Spiritual churches humble themselves to God. Their member are willing to look for their faults, confess them to one another, and continue to accept one another in the same way Christ accepts imp feet people into His fellowship ( Romans 15:5-7; 1 John 1:7-10; James 5:16; James 4:7-10; 1 Corinthians 10:12). Let's be a spiritual church!

Exercise:
1. Identify five ways you can become more godly.
2. Confess and pray to God about these shortcomings (sins).
3. Find a spiritually mature brother or sister in Christ, confess thest; shortcomings to them and ask them to pray for you.

• Spiritual Obesity -Dec 08, 1996