PRIDE,
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS & HUMILITY

1. What does God
think about pride?

A. He hates
it:

Pro.6:16,17             These...doth
the Lord hate: a proud look

Pro.16:5  Every one that is proud...is an
abomination to Lord

B. We should hate
it too:

Pro.8:13  The fear of the Lord is to hate...pride
& arrogancy

C. Pride is a sin,
not a virtue:

Pro.21:4a                An
high look, & a proud heart...is sin

Hab.2:4   Behold, his soul which is lifted up
is not upright

1Jn.2:16  Pride...is not of the Father, but is of
the world

2. Why is it wrong
for us to be proud?

A. Because only the
Lord is great; we are not:

Psa.66:5-7              Come
& see the works of God...He ruleth...let not the rebellious exalt
themselves

Psa.97:9  Thou, Lord, art high... exalted far above
all

Ezk.28:2  Thine heart is lifted up...yet thou art a
man, & not God, though thou set thine heart as...God

Phi.2:9,10               God
hath highly exalted Him (Jesus), & given Him a name above every name...every
knee should bow

(See
also Psa.21:13; 57:5,11; 108:5; Isa.2:11,17.)

B. God alone
should get the glory:

Acts
12:20-23        Angel...smote
him, because he gave not God the glory

1Cor.10:31              Whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God

(See
also Jer.9:23,24; 1Cor.1:28,29.)

C. Pride makes us
ignore & forget God:

Deut.8:14               (When)
thine heart be lifted up...thou forget the Lord

Psa.10:4  The wicked, through...pride...will not
seek after God

Hos.13:6b              Heart
was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me

D. God will
distance Himself from & resist the proud:

Psa.138:6                The
proud He (the Lord) knoweth afar off

Jam.4:6   God resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto humble

E. Pride makes us
rebel against the Word:

Neh.9:16,17,29       They dealt
proudly...& hearkened not to Thy (Word)

F. It gives us an
exaggerated sense of greatness:

Oba.3      The pride of
thine heart hath deceived thee, that saith, Who shall bring me down?

Rom.12:3                (Thinking)
of himself more highly than he ought to

Gal.6:3    If a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself

G. It creates
self-exaltation & a desire to be honoured:

Pro.25:27                For
men to search their own glory is not glory

Mat.23:5-7             (Proud
Pharisees) love...greetings (in public), & to be called of men, (Master,
Master)

Mk.12:38,39           Scribes...love...chief
seats...& uppermost rooms

Jude
16   Their mouth speaketh great
swelling words, having men's persons in admiration

H. When we seek to
please men, we often displease the Lord:

1Sam.15:30             I
have sinned: [but] honour me...before the [people]

Jn.5:44    Ye...receive honour one of
another, & seek not the honour that cometh from God only

Jn.12:43  They loved praise of men more than the
praise of God

Gal.1:10  If I pleased men...not be the servant of
Christ

I. Pride makes us
think we are "wise":

Pro.3:7    Be not wise in thine own
eyes: fear the Lord

1Cor.3:18                Let
no man deceive himself. If any...seemeth wise

1Cor.8:2  If any think that he knoweth any thing,
he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know

J. Pride gives us a
"know-it-all" attitude:

Psa.131:1                [The
haughty exercise themselves in great matters, in things too high for them]

Pro.26:12                Seest
thou a man "wise" in his own conceit? There is more hope of a
fool than of him

(See
also 1Tim.1:7)

K. Pride causes
arguments:

Pro.13:10                Only
by pride cometh contention

Pro.28:25                He
that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife

(See
also Pro.14:3; 21:24.)

L. Pride corrupts
us:

Mk.7:22,23             Pride...(comes)
from within, & defiles the man

M. Pride will bring
about our downfall:

Pro.11:2a                When
pride cometh, then cometh shame

Pro.16:18                Pride
goeth before destruction, & an haughty spirit before a fall

Pro.18:12a              Before
destruction the heart of man is haughty

Pro.29:23a              A
man's pride shall bring him low

Ezk.28:12-17           [The
fall of Satan happened because he exalted himself in pride] (See also
Isa.14:12-15)

Dan.5:18,20,
21      God gave
Nebuchadnezzar...majesty...& honour: But when his heart was lifted up...he
was deposed

1Cor.10:12              Him
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall

3. Some causes of
pride:

A. Beauty:

Ezk.28:17                Thine
heart is lifted up because of thy beauty

B. Material
abundance:

Deut.8:12-14,
17    Lest when thou...art
full...& all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up

Ezk.28:5  Thine heart is lifted up because of thy
riches

Hos.13:6 They were filled, & their heart was exalted

C. Being overly
secure:

Psa.73:5,6a             They
are not in trouble as other men...therefore pride compasseth them about as a
chain

D. Being overly
affected by exaltation:

2Chr.26:15,16         He
was marvellously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart
was lifted up

Dan.11:11,12          [Victory
over enemies causes heart to be lifted up]

1Tim.3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride
he fall

E. Carnal
mindedness (intellectual pride):

Gen.2:16-17;[Eve,
desiring to be wise, disobeyed God & ate of the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good & evil]

3:16

1Tim.6:3,4              If
any man teach otherwise (than sound doctrine)...he is proud, knowing nothing

(See
also Jer.9:23,24a; Rom.8:6,7; Jam.3:14-16.)

4. Warnings against
pride:

A. We should avoid
proud boasting:

1Sam.2:3a               Talk
no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth

Pro.27:2  Let another man praise thee, & not
thine own mouth

2Cor.10:18              Not
he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth

B. We shouldn't
exalt ourselves:

Pro.25:6,7               Put
not forth thyself in the presence of the king, & stand not in the place of
great men

Lk.14:10  When thou art bidden...sit down in the
lowest room

C. If we're proud,
we're in a dangerous position:

Psa.18:27                Thou
(God) wilt bring down high looks

Pro.15:25a              The
Lord will destroy the house of the proud

Eccl.7:16 Be not righteous over much (overly
righteous)...why shouldst thou destroy thyself?

Jer.48:25,26,
29      [Exceeding
proud, lofty, arrogant, haughty Moabites magnified selves against the Lord
& were cut off]

5.
Self-righteousness: Why is it wrong to think that we--in ourselves--are good
& righteous?

A. Because we are not:

Job
15:14                What
is man, that he should be clean?...righteous?

Job
15:15,16           The
heavens are not clean in His sight. How much more abominable & filthy is
man

Psa.130:3                If
Thou shouldest mark iniquities, who shall stand?

Pro.20:9  Who can say, I have made my heart clean,
I am pure?

Eccl.7:20 There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth
good & sinneth not

Isa.64:6a We are all as an unclean thing, &
all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags

Rom.3:10,23           There
is none righteous, no, not one...all have sinned

Rom.7:18a              In
me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing

B. Only God
is good:

Mat.19:17a             There
is none good but one, that is, God

Job
9:2b But how should man be just with God?

Psa.71:16b             I
will make mention of Thy righteousness, Thine only

C. Doing so causes
us to be lifted up in pride:

Pro.30:12,13           (They)
are pure in their own eyes...O how lofty are their eyes! And their
eyelids are lifted up

Lk.18:11  God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other
men...unjust

D. It separates us
from God:

Rom.10:3                They...going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted unto the
righteousness of God

Job
13:16b             An
hypocrite shall not come before Him

E. It makes us
unable to see our sins:

Job
32:1  Job...was righteous in his own
eyes (See also Pro.16:2; 21:2 .)

Pro.30:12                A
generation that are pure in their own eyes, & yet is not washed from their
filthiness

Lk.6:41,42               Why
perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Jn.9:41    Ye say, "We see";
therefore your sin remaineth

F. True
righteousness means trusting God:

Gal.3:6    Abraham believed God, it was
accounted righteous ness

Phi.3:9    Not having mine own
righteousness...but...of God

Tit.3:5     Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to (because of) His mercy He
saved us

6.
Self-righteousness: Why is it wrong to think we--in ourselves--are better
than others?

A. Because we're not:

Jn.8:7      He that is
without sin...let him first cast a stone

Rom.3:23                All
have sinned, & come short of the glory of God

B. We shouldn't
think we are better than others:

Rom.14:2,3             Let
not him that eateth despise him that eateth not

1Cor.13:4                Charity
(love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up

Phi.2:3b  [Not] vainglory; but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem other better than themselves

C. A proud attitude
displeases & angers God:

Isa.65:5   (They) say, "I am holier than
thou." These are a smoke in My (God's) nose

Lk.16:15  Ye are they which justify
yourselves...but...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination (to)
God

D. It makes us
despise & be unmerciful to others:

Mat.23:29               Ye
have omitted the weightier matters...mercy

Lk.18:9    (They) trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, & despised others

Lk.18:11  God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other
men are... unjust...or even as this publican (tax collector)

(See
also Mat.9:13)

E. We only are what
we are by God's grace:

1Cor.4:7  Who maketh thee to differ from another?
& what hast thou that thou didst not receive?

1Cor.15:10              By
the grace of God I am what I am

2Cor.3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves
to think any thing as of ourselves

7. The humbling of
the proud:

A. God can--&
does--humble the proud:

Dan.4:37b              Those
that walk in pride He is able to abase

Gen.11:1-8              [Men
were building the tower of Babel in pride, so God confused & scattered
them]

1Sam.13:8-14         [Saul
presumed to offer the sacrifice without waiting for Samuel, & lost the
kingdom as a result]

2Chr.32:24,25         Heart
was lifted up: therefore...wrath (was) upon him

Job
33:15-17          [God
works on our hearts at night to remove pride]

Psa.101:5b             Him
that hath an high look & a proud heart will not I suffer (allow to
continue)

Isa.2:11   The lofty looks of man shall
be humbled, & the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down

Isa.2:12   Every one that is proud &
lofty...shall be brought low

Isa.13:11b              I
will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease

Dan.4:30-35           [King
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up in pride, was deposed by God, abased as a beast,
& learned humility]

Dan.5:20,21            When
his...mind (was) hardened in pride...was deposed

2Cor.12:7                Lest
I (Paul) should be exalted above measure...there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh

(See
also Jer.50:31,32; Oba.4.)

B. It is a law of
God: If we're proud, we will be humbled:

Mat.23:12a             Whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased

Lk.14:11a                Whosoever
exalteth himself shall be abased

Lk.18:14b               Every
one that exalteth himself shall be abased

C. Being humbled
teaches us that God is in charge:

Job
42:1-6              [After
being humbled, Job said:] I know that Thou canst do every thing...I...repent

Dan.4:32-35           Eat
grass...until thou know that the most High ruleth

8. Why we should
want to be humble:

A. Because God
loves & delights in the humble:

Psa.51:17                The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken & a contrite heart, O God,
Thou wilt not despise

Psa.138:6a              The
Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly

1Pet.3:4  A meek & quiet spirit...is in the
sight of God of great price

1Pet.5:5b                God...giveth
grace to the humble

B. He is close to
the humble:

Psa.34:18a              The
Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart

Isa.57:15a               The
high & lofty One that inhabiteth eternity (dwells) with him that is of a
contrite & humble spirit

C. He requires us
to be humble:

Mic.6:8   What doth the Lord require...walk
humbly with thy God

Col.3:12  Put on, as the elect of God...humbleness
of mind

D. Humility brings
honour & blessing:

Pro.22:4  By humility...are riches, & honour,
& life

Pro.29:23b              Honour
shall uphold the humble in spirit

E. If we are
humble, God will exalt us:

Mat.23:12b            He
that shall humble himself shall be exalted

Lk.1:52    He put down the
mighty...& exalted them of low degree

F. God helps the
humble:

Psa.9:12  He forgetteth not the cry of the humble

Psa.25:9  The meek will He guide...& meek will
He teach His way

Psa.34:18                The
Lord...saveth such as be of a contrite spirit

Psa.147:6                The
Lord lifteth up the meek: He casteth wicked down

Isa.57:15b              (I)
revive spirit of the humble, & heart of contrite ones

Lk.1:48a  He hath regarded the low estate of His
handmaiden

1Pet.5:5b                God
resisteth the proud, & giveth grace to the humble

G. Humility can
spare us from trouble:

1Ki.21:17,25-29      [Wicked king Ahab
humbled himself before God, so God didn't bring judgment during his lifetime]

2Chr.32:26              Hezekiah
humbled himself for the pride of his heart...so that the wrath of the Lord came
not

H. God gives the
humble true wisdom:

Pro.11:2  [Pride causes shame] but with the lowly
is wisdom

1Cor.3:18                Let
him become a fool, that he may be wise

(See
also Lk.10:21)

I. Humility is true
greatness in God's eyes:

Eccl.7:8b                The
patient in spirit is better than proud in spirit

Mat.18:4 Whosoever shall humble himself is greatest in
the Kingdom of Heaven

Mat.19:30b            The
last shall be first

Mk.10:43                Whosoever
will be great...shall be your minister

Lk.22:26  He that is greatest...let him be as the
younger

J. God uses &
exalts the humble:

1Sam.15:17             When
thou wast little in thine own sight...the Lord anointed thee king over Israel

Pro.15:33b              Before
honour is humility

Jam.4:10 Humble yourselves...& He shall lift you up

1Pet.5:6  Humble yourselves... that He may exalt
you in due time

K. Other blessings
upon the meek:

Psa.37:11                The
meek shall inherit the earth; & shall delight

Psa.149:4                The
Lord...will beautify the meek with salvation

Mat.5:5   Blessed are the meek: for they
shall inherit the earth

9. Keeping a humble
attitude:

A. Remind yourself
that anything good is only Jesus, not you:

Gen.41:15,16          Joseph
answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an
answer

Dan.2:26-30a         God...revealeth
secrets. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I
have

1Cor.4:7  What hast thou that thou didst not
receive [from God]? Why dost thou glory?

1Cor.15:9,10           I
am not meet (worthy) to be called an apostle...but by the grace of God
I am what I am

2Cor.10:17              He
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (See also Jer.9:23,24)

Gal.6:14  God forbid I should glory, save in the
cross of Jesus

(See
also Rom.2:11; Gal.6:3.)

B. Read & obey
the Word:

Deut.17:19,20        [Read
& obey the Word] that heart be not lifted up

C. Realistically
admit your limitations:

Rom.12:3                (Don't)
think of (yourself) more highly than (you) ought to think; but think soberly

Rom.12:16b            Be
not wise in your own conceits

10. Humility with
one another:

A. Follow Jesus'
example of humility:

Mat.21:5 Thy King (Jesus) cometh unto thee, meek...upon
an ass

Jn.13:5,12-15          He
began to wash the disciples' feet, & wipe them...I have given you an
example, that ye should do as I

Lk.22:27  He that sitteth at meat (is
greater)...but I am among you as he that serveth

Phi.2:5-8 Let this mind be in you...Jesus made Himself of
no reputation...(became) a servant...humbled Himself

B. Other examples
of true humility:

1Sam.25:40,
41       [Abigail,
when asked to marry David, said:] Let (me) be a servant to wash the feet of
(his) servants

Mk.7:25-30             [Syrophoenician
woman said:] Yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs

Lk.7:2-7  [Pharisees said] he was worthy for whom
He should do this. The centurion (said), I am not worthy

Jn.1:27    (Jesus), Whose shoe's latchet
I am not worthy to unloose

C. Submit humbly to
one another:

Lk.22:25,26             Kings...exercise
lordship. But ye shall not be so. He that is greatest...let him be as the
younger

Eph.5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in fear of
God

1Pet.5:5  All of you be subject one to another,
& be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud

D. Love &
honour others:

Rom.12:10              With
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another

Rom.12:16              Mind
not high things, condescend to men of low estate Phi.2:3a Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory

E. Be humble when
pointing out other's errors:

Lk.6:42b Cast out first the beam out of thine own
eye

Gal.6:1    Restore such an one in the
spirit of meekness

2Tim.2:25               In
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves

11. The solution:

A. Confess your
faults & inabilities & humble yourself before God:

Jam.4:10a               Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord

1Pet.5:6a                Humble
yourselves...under the mighty hand of God

B. Ask others to
pray for you to overcome pride:

Jam.5:16 Confess your faults one to another, & pray
one for another

Mat.18:19,20          If
two of you shall agree [in prayer] it shall be done

C. Examples of
humbling oneself before the Lord:

2Sam.24:2-4,
8-10  [In pride, David took a census
of his kingdom to see how great he was, then repented & sought mercy]

Job
40:1-5; 42:1-6  [Self-righteous
Job--see 32:1; 35:2--humbled himself, confessed he was vile & repented]

Psa.51:1-4              I
acknowledge my...sin...that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest

Dan.4:33-35,37      [King
Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself & confessed that only God was great]

(See
also 1Sam.9:21 about Saul; 2Sam.7:18 about David; 1Ki.3:7 about Solomon;
Mat.3:14 about John the Baptist.)

Special passages:

1Ki.12:1-16             [Rehoboam
"answered the people roughly"]

2Chr.26:14-23        [King
Uzziah, "lifted up", presumed to offer incense]

Dan.4:all [Nebuchadnezzar's pride, humiliation &
restoration]

Lk.18:9-14              [The
parable of the proud Pharisee & humble sinner]