Guilty of Spiritual Pride?

By Gordon Dills

Romans 7:7-8:4
In Romans 7, the apostle Paul begins to explain in verse 7 that it is through the law of God that he has learned the sinfulness of his human nature. Then, talking about the inner struggle that he had, he writes in verses 19 and 20: "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

Wouldn't it be nice if we could interpret this passage to mean that we have no control over temptation? Wouldn't it be nice to use this passage to justify committing adultery, hating our neighbors, calling people names, or denouncing the people we don't like? Wouldn't it be nice to say with Flip Wilson, if we are old enough to remember, "The devil made me do it"?

But this is not as nice as we would like for it to be. For one thing, experience tells me that this just is not true. For every weak willed person there is a strong willed person. I've known evil men that, for selfish reasons, can discipline and control their actions. And I've known good people who are able to control themselves in terrible and tempting situations.

In Philippians 3:4-6 the apostle Paul has this to say of himself: "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is
in the law, blameless." In short, he does live by the law! Sin has not caused him to be wishy washy!

Deceived by sin. Moreover, the passage itself tells us that it refers to a man who doesn't know what he is doing, who doesn't know that his righteousness is unrighteousness. Look at verse 11: "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me." And verse 15: "For that which I do I allow not (that is, I do not understand)." Paul is not talking about a mixed-up mess of a man who is unable to discipline himself. It is about a man who, having been deceived by sin, is totally wrong in his thinking, and is thereby totally wrong in his doing.

Sin fools him and us into thinking we are doing the right thing when we are doing the wrong thing. This is what Paul means in verse 25, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." In other words, in my mind I am God's servant, but being deceived, my natural self follows the way of sin!

Sin wants to fool us into thinking how righteous we are. It uses our pride to get the best of us.

Before I was a Christian, I used to sweet talk people into doing favors for me. It is easy. All you have to do is play on a person's pride. Once, I drove into an auto parts store where I knew the salesman. I knew he loved his car. So, I told him how wonderful it looked. I flattered him. Then, I told him I wish I had an air cleaner in my car like the one he had. Before I was out of there, he gave me one! Boy, did I fool that guy. He thought he was being generous. I can just hear him thinking to himself, "Gordon is such a good guy, and I'm such a good guy too." He didn't even know that he had been had by his own pride!

Foolish Pride. This is how the Jews were fooled. Paul describes the problem of the Jewish nation as a whole in Romans 10:2-4:

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
This is a psychological disease. The disease that brought about the downfall of Satanthe disease of pride! The Jews in Jesus time had an attitude that went like this: "We are better than you because we have the Law of God! You are only pagan scum!"

Now, the Jews wanted to do the right thing all right, but the sinful pride living within them kept them from the righteousness of God. God had chosen them to be light. But they misunderstood. They thought that God had chosen them because they were better, or at least God's law made them better and of more value than others. Their special privilege became their stumbling stone to salvation!

Chosen by grace. We believers are the chosen of God. Again, God didn't choose us because we are better. But our sinful nature always wants to fool us into thinking we are just a little or a lot better than the next
person. If we do think we are, then we have fallen, and sin has blinded our hearts.

I've been around a lot of people, and I have seen good and bad in just about all people. And I've learned first hand what Paul says: that there is none that doeth good and that God has given all over to disobedience so that God might have mercy on them all.

I believe in accountability. We are free enough to choose right from wrong that we can be judged in all truth guilty. And I believe in depravity. We are controlled enough by depravity that we have no reason whatsoever not to be compassionate to other sinners. It is in such a world that God commands us to practice love. We no longer live to earn our own salvation. Neither do we condemn others, for we know that if it were not for the grace of God, there we go.

God's power. We trust in Christ and Christ alone. We trust in Him for our righteousness. We trust that it was by His power that we who once were lost have now become saved. We trust that it is by His power that we are becoming more and more like Him.

So, we are no better in ourselves? As soon as we say we are better, we are trusting again in our own abilities. In fact, God doesn't want us to just be better. He wants us to have the right spirit in our hearts. Jesus not only lived, died, and was raised for me. He did it also for our neighbor, who doesn't have any idea of the love of God. If we look down our nose at our neighbor, then we are as lost as he or she is.

All of our own righteousness is stopped at the cross. There is no more boasting. One group is no better than another. One nation is no better than another. We should not see our denomination as better than another. Neither should nondenominational churches see themselves as better. We are all one in Christ. Paul says that he cannot boast except in what Christ has accomplished through him (Rom. 15:17,18).

Let us get rid of the notion that it is by our own strength and our own righteousness that we stand here today before God. Let us get rid of the notion that it is by our obedience of God's commands that we will stand before God. It is God who makes us to stand, but we do not stand alone.

Spiritual pride. Even the good way the Bible teaches us to live can become a source of pride. I've never met a true Christian that claimed he saved himself by works. But how many times have I seen Christians looking down on the sinners in the world. They self-righteously criticize the sins committed by the people around them. Is that the attitude Christ displayed?

There are too many criticisms today. Our Lord warns that we are in danger of hell fire if we call someone else a fool (Matt. 5:22). That means we are not to call people with whom we disagree morally, politically or whatever idiot or stupid. In ourselves, we are no better than they are. God despises the arrogance of the proud. The Lord says in the Psalm 101:5 "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer." There are many other verses in the Bible that condemn such pride.

Does this mean that we should not pursue holy living? No. God most
certainly tells us to live holy lives, lives of commitment and sacrifice. And God strengthens us to live such lives! But it is by grace, so that none of us can boast that we are better than another. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10).

Compassion. Holiness does not make us holier than thou. Rather, it remakes us into the image of Christ. So, if we do not have the compassion that Jesus has, we ought to ask as Paul asks in verse 24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And the answer comes in the last verse of Romans 7, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord..." It is God that delivers us from this body of death and from this sin of pride.

Look now at Romans 8:1-3:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
We must let the sin of pride go. At the foundation of sinful pride is an idolthe idol of self! Dying to our pride is the only way for us ever to be pleasing to God. We cannot do it on our own by obeying the law. But Christ's death on the cross has enabled us to condemn pride and other sins in our nature. As a result, verse 4 says, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

As children of God, we no longer have to be controlled by our sinful pride. Instead, we are led by the Holy Spirit. And so, we begin to feel sorry for the sinners around us, and we begin to pray for all humanity the way Jesus does, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

It is by faith in the grace of God, displayed on the cross, which transforms us. May we be transformed and have compassion for the lost! o

Rev. Gordon Dills is pastor of Woodburn Free Methodist Church, 280 Gatch St. Woodburn, OR 97071.

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