Does Pride = Sin?

Mr Webster defines pride this way:

In common usage - proud of country, accomplishments, family - we don't usually emphasize the "(i)nordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority.

That wasn't the case with Moses at the waters of Meribah.

Numbers 20:8-12 NAS77

8 "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."
9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him;
10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?"
11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."​

God commanded Moses to speak to the rock. Moses not only struck the rock but read what he said to Israel just before he struck the rock, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?"

Shall WE? Who is WE? As far as the gathering could tell the WE was Moses and Aaron. Moses had does some amazing things with that stick of his. This isn't one of them. Had he spoken to the rock as God commanded God would have gotten the glory for the miracle of water. Moses' act in striking the rock drew the attention toward Moses and Aaron. That is inordinate and unreasonable pride.

 

Yep, being proud of anything is sin. It takes the Glory and places it on the self or someone else. God is the only rightful recipient of Glory.

God is jealous of glory--especially that which is in reality-- spiritual adultery.

"For by Grace are we saved, through Faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any should boast; for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:8-10.

Humility is a difficult block of instruction.

To God be the Glory, great things He has done.

"All of our righteousness is as filthy rags to God.'

Our flesh still likes the praise of men. We rationalize pride-- so our flesh feels better.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

I have always been of the mind that we need another word to express our pleasure in certain things or people. Yes pride is always sin, because with pride we are always taking some personal credit, but not everything we call pride is equal to the biblical inference of sinful pride.

Perhaps we should adopt how God the Father expressed His delight in His Son. He was "well pleased."

 

I once pride open a metal box with a lost key; I never thought that was a sin.

Anyway, pride is the essence of so many of our activities... being sports fans, encouraging kids in competition, displaying the family coat of arms, giving so much attention to our clothes and grooming, working hard for that promotion.....

How about our attitudes toward our own churches? How do we meet someone who is looking for a church and encourage them to try our own if we don't tell them about the facilities and ministers and the different fellowship groups and activities? And can we do that without any sense of pride about it?

I think it's really a different facet in getting down to pride in the right beliefs and practices; especially the exclusive pride shown by cults, and/or those bodies or persons who show this to outsiders... as on this board there are, or have been, 7th Day Adventists, Church of Christ members, and KJV-onlyists and those fanatical about one tenet or another, like drinking, clothing, music styles.... It's pride nonetheless that is at the core, not necessarily of the beliefs, but of their promulgations.

 

When it comes to "gay pride" it becomes sin!

However. While pride leads cometh before a fall, Proverbs 16:18. So when it comes to pride, I am more humbled by my humility than I am by all the pride in the world. :laugh: