(Ezek 16:49-50)  "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. {50} and they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."

(Prov 6:16-19)  "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: {17} A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, {18} An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, {19} A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

(Prov 16:18)  "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

(Rev 3:17)  "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"

    The foregoing Scriptures will provide the basis of the following outline.  We have been very troubled of late by the outlandish pride which is currently permeating the majority of ministers and so-called saints within the Body of Christ.  Pride is an enemy, one of the very worst offenders.  Because of it's deceitful and destructive nature, and  it's ability to bring forth all types of perverseness (such as even the deadly sin of homosexuality), it should be hated by all, and shunned like the plague.  According to Ezek 16:49-50 the REAL reason for the destruction of Sodom was (contrary to popular thought) based on the following things  (Notice their number and order):
 
 
 

1.  PRIDE...

2.  FULNESS OF BREAD.. (or, DOCTRINE).

3.  ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS...  (hearers of the WORD.

NOT DOERS).

4.  NOT STRENGTHENING THE HAND OF THE POOR

AND NEEDY...

5.  HAUGHTYNESS...

And lastly;

6. THEY COMMITTED ABOMINATION BEFORE GOD...

    If one could draw a graph or scale of this progressive degeneration into the eventual sin (ABOMINATION) of Homosexuality stated here, it would look very much like stair steps going downward.. 

    Just as Sodom had daughters, so does PRIDE; they are the love of:

1.  Power

2. Prestige 

3. Preeminence 
 

    The issues of Power, Prestige, and Preeminence are first and foremost in the minds of multitudes of leaders throughout the Church World.  They are trained from their youth to these obsessions.  Career Ministers are taught from their beginnings in Christ to think of themselves (and only themselves) as "God's Man of the Hour, in Faith and Power."  Virtually every sin known to man has its roots in pride somehow.  Ambition and pride of life was the cause of Eve's deception, and it is a strong deceiver of many in our time. 

The Abominations of the Seven Churches

(Prov 6:16-19)  "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: {17} A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, {18} An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, {19} A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

    History records that since the beginning of the Church Age, their have been various problems (or, Abominations) which have plagued believers at different times.  The Church Age is often divided up into seven separate "Sub-Ages" or, "Dispensations," by Biblical Scholars.  Each one of the seven Churches have had their own particular abominations to overcome, and in the seven letters which Christ commanded John to write to the Churches, there were different promises made to the "Overcomers" of each individual dispensation.  To those living in the Philadelphian age for instance, the predominant problem was the tendency to sow discord among Brethren; in the End-Time Laodicean church age however, it is the "Proud Look."  Now this is not to say that the sowing of discord among Brethren has not always been somewhat of a problem, but in Philadelphia, it was (and still is) the major thing necessary to overcome if they were to indeed  be the "Church of Brotherly Love."  In like manner, each of the seven "Abominations" of Prov 6:16-19 have always been present in every age, and God expects the Overcomers to get victory over all of them; but in order to attain complete victory over all, we must address first the "Key Problems (or, the spirit)" of our dispensation.  In dealing with the subject of Pride and attempting to describe what it is, perhaps it is fitting to describe first, what Pride is not. 

Pride Versus Humility.. Anger Versus Faith
"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,  and before
honour is humility (Prov 18:12)." 

     I had an experience once in which a minister informed me that I was full of "Spiritual Pride;" when I asked him for the basis of his judgment he replied "Because you think you know more about the Bible than other people do."  I admitted that in some cases this was most certainly true, but I reasoned that if this was, in itself, a sign of "Spiritual Pride,"  then Jesus himself had it because he not only thought he knew more than the Pharisees and Saducees did about the Bible, He KNEW He did!!  Beloved, it is not necessarily "Spiritual Pride" for you to think you know more, or believe you have something that others do not possess in God (although this idea could very well follow where Spiritual Pride doestruly exist)..  Contrary to misguided opinions, it is certainly no sin to "Know what you know;"  it is our HEART ATTITUDE that matters.  Another time we were assured by a fellow minister that we were full of "Spiritual Pride" when he argued with us that certain major elements in the Faith and practice of the early Church did not appear anywhere in the Scriptures, and we showed him where they did.  He said, "I didn't know that was in there;" and I asked him, "Are you a Kingdom preacher and don't know these things?"  It was at this point that he exploded and angrily shook his finger in our faces accusing us both of having "Spiritual Pride."  Beloved, if asking a question like that is a sign of "Spiritual Pride," what was it then, when Jesus asked Nicodemus  "Art thou a master (Teacher) of Israel (the Kingdom), and knowest not these things (John 3:10)?"  In contrast to this, consider the response of Nicodemus to Jesus' question; did he become angry??  Or did he accuse Jesus of being full of "Spiritual Pride??"  Pride and Humility are each as distant from the other as the East is from the West; these attitudes appear at total opposite ends of the spectrum.  In fact, to have reacted in anger to such a question would most certainly have reflected a state of "Spiritual Pride" within the heart of Nicodemus, as it did in the case of the above mentioned "Kingdom Preacher."  Remember the incident of the woman of Canaan, the Syrophenician who came to Jesus for the healing of her daughter who was grievously vexed by a demon??  Notice how Jesus' reply provoked her flesh to respond either in prideful anger, or in humble faith..
"But he answered and said, It is not meet  (lit. Fitting) to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. {27} And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs  (or, little Puppies) eat  of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. {28} Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (Mat 15:26-28)."

The Mind of Christ

"Let this mind  (or, Mindset,  Attitude) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal (or, ONE) with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} Wherefore (Because of this) God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name (Phil 2:5-9):"

    The Syrophenician  woman was a Canaanite, an outcast with no social standing whatsoever in Israel.  They were considered no better than "Dogs" by the Religiously proud Jews, but then Jesus was himself an outcast by Jewish standards; if for no other reason, because of the seemingly outlandish claims of His mother's Virginity at the time of His conception.  The fact that his hometown was Nazareth helped nothing at all, for Nazareth had a terrible reputation as being an ungodly community, and besides, Nazareth was located in the district called Galilee from which "No Prophet ariseth (See John 7:52)," according to the Law..  In fact, it seems incredible that the Jews even allowed Him to enter the synagogues because of the "Curse of the Bastard" which was being disallowed from entering the congregation of the Lord for a full seven generations.  Had it not been for the intervention of Joseph his Stepfather (of whom the Scriptures have both Little and Much to say) into Mary's situation (by giving Him a proper name), He might never have even been circumcised, much less allowed to preach.  Even though Jesus was the very essence of all the Godhead in Bodily form, because of these reproaches, He was a "Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief (See Isa 53:3)."  Christ was God's perfect illustration of the man of humility and lowliness, willing to suffer terrible reproaches, burdens, and hardships; that the glory of God might also rest upon Him.  It was on the basis of His wonderful heart-attitude and correct Mindset that God's Spirit flowed so profoundly and unrestrictedly through Him and out of Him for, "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1Pet 5:5)." 

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. {18} For I reckon that the sufferings of this present timeare not worthy to be compared with theglory which shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:17-1)."

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. {30} For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Mat 11:29-3)."

    It is impossible to rightly divide the Word of God, or to really advance at all in God's Word without FIRST having the proper "Mindset" of this wonderful Christ of Galilee with humility.  Pride and stubbornness are tremendous roadblocks to the Spirit of God moving freely in our lives; these are satanic forces which constantly work either to prevent us from hearing the message of overcoming in the first place, or to stop us from believing it and carrying it out.  These must be removed by our own volition (but with God's help) in and through Godly sorrow and in true repentance..  Over the years we have experienced discoveries and revelations in the Word of God which we had never seen before, even though we both have read and reread the entire Bible many times..  Why we ask, didn't we notice this before?  We have certainly read this many times, yet on this particular occasion the words seemed to literally Jump off the page at us, giving birth to new meanings entirely.  The answer is, that our minds and attitudes have not always been "Set" perfectly in the correct manner to actually see and to "Hear what the Spirit" was saying to the Churches.  Most of us are fortunate to even catch a fleeting glimpse of the Christ at all, considering the many spiritual "Beams (or, Logs)" which exist in the "Eyes of our understanding," much less to "Behold Him," and be changed into His SAME IMAGE.  Until our attitudes of heart and mind are fully engaged with the Spirit in the same manner as the Apostle Paul for example, when he wrote to Ephesus, we can never hope to completely "Know the Love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (Eph 3:19)," or to fully comprehend what it is to be "Seated together in Heavenly places (Eph 2:6)" in Christ Jesus. 

The Renewed Virgin Mind

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; {23} And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; {24} And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph 4:22-24)."

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. {15} Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good (Isa 7:14-15)."

    One of the strongest points on which Christ's success in the Spirit was based, was the principle of the Virgin Birth.  A true virgin has never been "Penetrated" from without by anything; our old carnal, unregenerate, minds however, are anythingBUT unpenetrated virgins.  Jesus' conception and birth was so Holy and without sin that His mind was Pure in it's very beginnings, and was never penetrated or defiledwith the sins of Pride, Power, and Preeminence..  He had the PUREMIND of His Father right from His Birth..  It is totally correct for us to state here that Jesus had a definite ADVANTAGE over all natural-born sinners, He was Spirit-Born, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and Spirit-taught all his life.  This is not to say however, that He had any particular advantage over us who are now born-again of the same Spirit.  This may sound strange to some, but Jesus said; "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne (Rev 3:21)."  On the basis of this important statement, what would it be first of all, if NO ONE ELSE ever overcame as (or, by the same means and to the same degree as) Christ Himself overcame??  If no one ever lived up to this "Overcoming"  then the promise of sitting with Christ in His throne would be totally meaningless!!  Secondly, if Christ did have any ADVANTAGE over the rest of us in this, what would it be if someone in some dispensation walking uprightly with God (such as Enoch)  DID truly measure up to OVERCOMING even AS (or, to the same degree as) Christ Himself??  If an overcomer has less to work with than Christ, and yet performs perfectly in God, even to the point of OVERCOMING even as Christ Himself overcame, then who deserves the most credit??  The one with NO HANDICAP, or the one WITH the HANDICAP??  You see many of the things we have taken for granted are laden with Scriptural problems; and in addressing these things we must point out that both the "Virgin Birth" and the "New Birth" have MUCH in common.  When we are born again it parallels the miracle of the "Virgin Birth," we are born of a Pure Spirit, by an Immaculate means, and "WE HAVE the MIND  (or, Literally the SOUL) OF CHRIST (1Cor 2:16)."  The soul of the newborn believer begins to be renewed IMMEDIATELY by the Spirit, and re-created into the very incorruptible image of Christ Jesus Himself.  God is now our true Father, the Glorious Church our Mother; and we are ONE with Christ in every way for; "Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not  ashamed to call them brethren (Heb 2:11).."   These things should speak loudly to us concerning the paramount importance of the principles regarding both the Virgin Birth, and it's wonderful counterpart, the Born-again experience. 

Back