Pride 2

I forgot to mention this in my last post... again, from Matthew 23. Jesus condemns the Pharisees in vv. 31-36 for saying "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets" because the Pharisees were, in fact, wrong. The thinking of their fathers had been passed down to them, and they became guilty of persecuting and killing the greatest "prophet" in their midst - Jesus.

Pride says, "I would NEVER do THAT!" Or, "I'm glad I'm not like so and so." Or, "If I had been in his shoes, I would have..." But pride is deceitful! It is usually when we are so adamant about not doing something that we are most likely to be tempted by it... either because we're thinking about it all the time (the sin, instead of the Savior who can help us overcome the sin), or because in our pride, we think we are above the temptation, and therefore rely on our own "ability" to refrain from that particular sin.

Humility recognizes his propensity to sin and falls on the mercy of God, asking for His ever present help to withstand the temptation to sin, and attributing any ability to live rightly to the Spirit's work in his life.

I remember hearing sermons as a child in which the children of Israel would get lambasted for sinning against the Lord. They were always painted as foolish, willful, stubborn people... and the preacher would always shake his head at them, as if he were sitting with God in judgment over them.

I don't think the application of Scripture, particularly OT narrative, is just about avoiding whatever "those people" did wrong. First, God wants us to learn something about His character. In light of that, God wants us to learn something about human nature, and in particular, our own character so that we may see the infinite difference between the two, and our utter hopelessness without our salvation in Christ and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work of sanctification.

Now when I read the OT, instead of saying, "I would NEVER do THAT!" I try to ask the question, "Am I like that?" and ask for the Spirit's help to lay aside the sin that so easily entangles and press on toward the goal to become more like Christ.