Season 3 Podcast 145 Pride Vs. Humility

Pride vs HumilityIn the Middle Ages, Pride was identified as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the following Linda shall read four definitions of sin from the New Testament:1.     ‘All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 3:8)2.     “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4)3.     “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17)4.     “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:29)·    First, we learn that sin is the opposite of righteousness. To know sin, one must know what is righteous. ·    Second, we learn that sin is the transgression of law. If there is no law, there is no sin.·    Third, we learn that one must have knowledge of sin for one to be accountable for sin.·    Fourth, we learn that studying the law is the only way to understand sin. The opposite of Pride is Humility. It is only through opposites that we can comprehend either. How can one understand pride unless one understands humility, or humility unless one understands pride? In this podcast I would like to briefly compare pride with humility.Paul tells us13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)I suppose that pride is one of those sins “common to man.” Pride, of course, is a sword with two edges. We may take pride in our work or our family or our country and so on without committing sin. Healthy pride is a good thing.I suppose one way to distinguish healthy pride from unhealthy pride is through consequences. Healthy pride leads to happiness. Unhealthy pride leads to destruction. We all know the dictum, ‘Pride goeth before the fall.” Satan, once called Lucifer, an angel of light, a son of the morning, fell by pride, and it is through pride that he seeks our fall.  Peter warns us: “5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:5-6)God resists the proud but exalts the humble. Those who exalt themselves will be made low.  Those who humble themselves will be exalted. Let’s again turn for our example to Lucifer.12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; (Isaiah 14:12-16)However, it isn’t always on such a grand scale. Often it is the small things that bring us down.  On the one hand self-reliance is a noble endeavor. We should all strive to be self-reliant; sometimes, however, we must humble ourselves and accept help, even seek help from others.