Pride is resisted by God, humility is not

The best place to start with such a topic is by defining the word pride.  Pride is defined as confidence and satisfaction in oneself; pleasure that comes from a relationship, association, achievement, or possession; exaggerated self-esteem; a showy or pretentious group. 

When a person displays pride, they are not relying on God but themselves.  God’s Word says He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).  Anytime a person places pride within themselves, something they have, or something they belong to, they are making themselves their own God and rejecting the true and living God (Ezekiel 28:2; Romans 1:25).  Placing confidence or satisfaction in oneself or having an exaggerated self-esteem reflects a denial of God in one’s life (Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 6:24). 

No matter one’s sin that is a stumbling block, all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8).  The Bible goes on to say that no one is righteous on their own (Romans 3:10).  Why should there be pride within a person’s life if that person has no saving power or authority to change their eternity based on their ability without God’s help?  This is the necessity for pride to be removed and for humility to be cultivated in submission to God the Father through Jesus Christ. 

All people must resist pride and deny themselves to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master (Luke 9:23; 1 John 2:4; Matthew 16:24; John 14:6).  Prideful and sinful people know what God’s requirements are for such actions yet they do them anyway and encourage other people to participate as well (Romans 1:32; Proverbs 1:10-16; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Psalm 1:1).  The answer to pride is humility.  As noted already, humility allows God’s grace to flow into one’s life (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 3:34; Matthew 23:12; Philippians 2:3-4; Proverbs 22:4).  All people must have humility before God to have not only eternal life but the blessings of God in the life that now is. 

Humility births submission, submission births obedience, and obedience, especially when coupled with faith, pleases God (Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:8; 1 John 5:4; Galatians 2:20; 1 Samuel 15:22; John 14:15; Romans 6:16).  Here are other verses that display the stark difference between pride and humility.  Pride brings disgrace while humility is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).  Pride brings destruction, but humility brings honor (Proverbs 18:12).  Pride ends in humiliation while humility brings honor (Proverbs 29:23; Luke 14:11).  Having this bigger picture of what the Word of God says, allows one to see there should be no pride in oneself, one’s group, or from an achievement or possession, but everyone should have a humility because they recognize their need for God. 

God still places the call for all of mankind to come to Him in repentance for sin (Matthew 4:17; Acts 3:19; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3; 1 John 1:9).  What will the choice be, pride or humility?  Looking through the lens of scripture, the choice should be clear, but some will still choose according to their own desires.  May people humble themselves and call upon the name of Jesus and be born again (John 3:3; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 3:36; Romans 6:6).

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