Human Pride

HUMAN PRIDE
AND
DIVINE HUMILITY
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1.The Pride of the Fallen Angels
LUCIFER
THE ANOINTED CHERUB
FOUR ANGELS BOUND BY EUPHRATES
THE ANGELS BOUND IN EVERLASTING CHAINS OF DARKNESS
SATAN
2.SOME ILL-EFFECTS OF PRIDE
SELF-PITY, DISSATISFACTION AND FINANCIAL WORRIES ARE THE BITTER FRUITS

OF PRIDE
ENVY, A FOUL OFFSHOOT OF PRIDE
THE PROUD JUSTIFY THEMSELVES AND ARE IMPATIENT
DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION
FEAR, A PRODUCT OF PRIDE
3.The Proud have a Terrible End
4.Humility – A Beautiful Life
HUMBLE PEOPLE NEVER GET OFFENDED OR HURT

HUMILITY IS A LIFE OF REST
HUMILITY AND PURITY GO TOGETHER
5.No Pride Whatsoever in Christ
1. THERE WAS NO PRIDE IN CHRIST’S BIRTH OR IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS

EARTHLY LIFE
2. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY
3. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF FAMILY STATUS
4. THERE WAS NO PRIDE OF CITIZENSHIP IN CHRIST
5. THERE WAS NO PRIDE OF BEAUTY IN CHRIST
6. OUR SAVIOUR HAD NO PRIDE OF PRAISE
7. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF WEALTH
8. OUR LORD HAD NO SPIRITUAL PRIDE
9. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF SELF-ESTEEM OR SELF-IMPORTANCE
10. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF SUPERIORITY
11. OUR LORD HAD NO PRIDE OF EDUCATION
12. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF TRAVELLING
13. OUR LORD HAD NO RACIAL PRIDE
14. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF SPEECH
15. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF STRENGTH OR SELF-CONFIDENCE
16. JESUS HAD NO PRIDE OF AUTHORITY AND POWER
17. OUR MASTER HAD NO PRIDE OF INDEPENDENCE
6.Five Aspects of the Humility of Christ
1. ‘MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION’

2. ‘TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT (BONDSERVANT OR SLAVE)’
3. ‘WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN’
4. ‘BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH’
5. ‘EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS’
7.The Rich Rewards of Humility
THE HUMBLE GET TWO CROWNS

HUMILITY MOVES MOUNTAINS
.....................
Introduction
Long before man was created, God created the angels. However, some of
them fell due to pride. So God had to prepare hell or everlasting fire for the
punishment of the fallen angels or demons (Matt.24:41). So pride is directly
connected with hell, or pride creates hell and therefore pride is hell.
The all-wise God took every possible precaution while creating man, so that
man may not fall by pride. The angels were made full of light and some of them
became proud and fell. The loving, caring God therefore made man out of dust so
that he may not be proud of the matter with which he was made. And it was after
God had made man that He planted a garden in Eden and put the man there
(Gen.2:7,8). If God had made man out of the dust of the Garden of Eden, man
could have boasted, “I am not made of ordinary dust, but of garden dust!” Also,
man, though the crown of creation, was created only on the sixth day, the last
day of creation. And on the sixth day too, man was created last, after all the land
animals. Why? If God had created man on the first day of His creation, man could
have boasted, “I helped God in the six days of creation!” Although our God took
so many precautions that man may not become proud and fall, today, from the
crown of our head to the sole of our feet, there is pride sticking to us like a blood-
sucking worm, and we are blind to it! May the Lord open our eyes to see this
dangerous worm before it is too late.
If the root of all evil is the love of money, then the seed of all evil is pride. The
root grows only from the seed. So, if we get rid of the seed (pride), we root out
all evil. Remember, God gave the promise, “There shall no evil befall thee”
(Psa.91:10), only to those humble saints who dwell in the secret place of the
Most High (vs.1), or those who humbly hide themselves in the Lord. What a
blessed truth! If we are truly humble, the blessed promise, “There shall no evil
befall thee,” is ours. Instead of all evil, we will receive all good. Conversely, the
more proud we are, the more vulnerable we are to all evil. Let us tremble at this
grim fact.
Why is pride considered so bad? Sins such as murder, immorality,
blasphemy, etc, are either influenced by the devil, by the people around us, by
the sinfulness of the world or by the weakness of the sinful flesh. However, the
sin of pride began in heaven where there was absolutely no such evil influence,
where everything was pure and clean. Therefore, we are one hundred percent
responsible for the sin of pride. For the same reason, pride is given the worst
punishment. Human pride is directly responsible for some terminal diseases and
some mental illnesses. Some major tragedies and accidents could also be a
result of pride.
Lucifer did not commit any proud act. A proud thought came to his mind,
that’s all! “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend…I will exalt my throne”
(Isa. 14:13) This brought him down to the bottomless pit to be tormented
eternally. If proud thoughts sent Lucifer to the bottomless pit instantly, how much
should we fear if we have shown pride in our actions and attitudes! Let us
humbly admit that, for all our pride and arrogance, if the earth has not opened
up and swallowed us, it is purely the mercy of God on us.
It is also possible that if the proud man does not repent and turn to the Lord
by humbling himself, he may be delivered into the hands of the devil for the
worst type of torment: “Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast
lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs,
and his heart is lifted up in his height; I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the
mighty one of the heathen” (Ezek. 31:10,11). “The mighty one of the heathen” is the
devil.
Pride is the most destructive element in the whole universe. Human pride is
responsible for all wars, violence and bloodshed. If pride is removed, this earth
will virtually be heaven, having perfect peace and joy. Pride is the killer of peace
and joy. God’s Word says that the humble shall be glad (Psa.34:2; 69:32). Just as
pride is the worst destructive force in the world, divine humility is the most
blessed constructive element that can build a true divine nature in us. If a
person’s character has to be transformed, the first thing he has to do is to
humble himself. A man who does not humble himself will not have a desire for
heaven or heavenly things.
This book gives the Reader an idea of how desperately proud man is and
how altogether humble Jesus is. A study of the book will therefore help one see
his true state and humble himself and so come to enjoy the beautiful and
fragrant life of humility.
CHAPTER 1
THE PRIDE OF THE FALLEN ANGELS

There are four orders of angels—thrones, dominions, principalities and
powers (Col.1:16). Of these, some angels fell because of pride. There are mainly
five groups of fallen angels mentioned in the Word of God. Although these angels
fell due to pride, they had pride in different forms. This is a warning for us to be
careful not to let any form of pride enter us and destroy us.
Let us consider these five groups of fallen angels and the type of pride that
caused their fall:
1. LUCIFER
“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 north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like
the most High” (Isa.14:13,14).
The pride of Lucifer was self-exaltation or trying to grab a higher position
and honour than what he had. Lucifer was already a great angel, perhaps an
archangel; and perhaps he had a throne. He was called the son of the morning
while Jesus is called the Morning Star. This shows that the angel Lucifer was a
bright shining angel having great power. He was not satisfied with all the power
and glory God had bestowed on him; he wanted more power, more position,
more honour, etc. This spirit is working not only in the political and secular world;
it is rampant in the spiritual or religious world too. It is this spirit of Lucifer that
incites most of the fighting in the world—fighting for greater power, leadership,
position, honour, etc. Although it is a shocking statement, it is very true that
most of the leaders (whether in the secular, political or religious world), who
fought and rose to a higher position, were possessed with the spirit of Lucifer.
The spirit of humility is, praying from the depths of the heart, “He must
increase (ie. others should become better, greater and more honourable than me),
and I must decrease (ie. I must be completely hidden in Christ)” (Jn. 3:30). “And do
you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring
adversity on all flesh” (Jer.45:5 NKJV). May the Lord open our spiritual eyes, so
that instead of seeking power and position in this world, we may seek eternal
power and glory by humbling ourselves.
The spirit of Lucifer makes people think highly of themselves and despise
others. Despising others is a form of pride. In Luke 18:11,12 we see the Pharisee
saying ‘I’ five times; in Isaiah 14:13,14, Lucifer uses ‘I’ five times. The ‘holier-
than-thou’ spirit is Lucifer’s spirit.
“Yet thou shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isa.14:15).
In vs.12 we see that Lucifer was cut down to the ground. Pride will really cut us
down to the ground, bring us right to the bottom. Lucifer was a mighty angel but
after his fall he became weak (vs.10). Pride makes a person weak spiritually and
sometimes physically also. On the other hand, true humility makes you strong.
Dear friend, what spirit are you possessing—the Spirit of Christ or the spirit of
Lucifer?
2. THE ANOINTED CHERUB
“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou
wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst
of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast
created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they
have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will
cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O
covering cherub, from the midst of the fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of
thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will
cast thee to the ground” (Ezek. 28:14-17).
From the above scriptural description of the anointed cherub, we can
gather that he must have been a far greater angel than Lucifer, in power and
glory. He was wiser than Daniel (Ezek.28:3). Lucifer wanted to go to the holy hill
of God; the anointed cherub was already there. All the nine precious stones that
covered the body of this angel were on the breastplate of the high priest. He was
perfect in beauty, wisdom and brightness, and he walked “in the midst of the
stones of fire”. What unimaginable beauty and splendour! What was his pride?
He was proud of his greatness, ie. he was proud of the beauty, wisdom, etc. that
God had given him. This is pride in God-given gifts, talents, abilities, revelations,
etc. or pride about our usefulness.
“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth” (vs.14). Perhaps he was one
of the cherubs that covered the mercy seat. If so, he could have been one of the
greatest and most useful angels. He had a special anointing given by God for his
ministry. Not only did very precious stones cover his body, but musical organs
were also fitted into his body (vs.13). So, melodious music must have flowed
from him when he moved about and his body might have been shining with all
the brilliance man can imagine! Perhaps he was the leader of the heavenly
orchestra. But, not realising that all these gifts were given by God, he was lifted
up in pride.
In Ezekiel 28:19 we read, “All they that know thee among the people shall
be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”
The NIV reads: “You have come to a horrible end.” Although very talented, this
cherub came to a horrible end. Let this be a warning to all of us. By the mercy of
God, some of us may be useful in many ways, shining with various gifts and
talents. But we must remember that we are like charcoal on fire. Once the fire
has gone out, the only thing that remains is the black charcoal, and anyone
touching it will become dirty.
The more gifted we are, the more useful we are, the more we are indebted
to God. If we have anything and if we are anything, it is all the grace of God. Let
us therefore be more and more thankful and humble before the Lord.
3. FOUR ANGELS BOUND BY EUPHRATES
To the sixth angel who had the trumpet it was said, “Release the four
angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates”. So the four angels, who had
been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a
third of mankind” (Rev.9:14,15 NKJV).
As soon as these four fallen angels are released, they go and kill one-third
of the world’s population. If the present population is about six billion people,
then two billion people will be killed by these four fallen angels. Never in history
has something like this happened —not in Hiroshima or Nagasaki; not even in
Hitler’s time. It is very clear therefore, that these fallen angels are murderous
spirits. The spirit of murder is the spirit of anger. The first man to get angry
(Cain), committed a murder (Gen.4:5,8). Herod got angry and killed all the
babies in Bethlehem. Anger and pride go together. In fact, anger is a sure sign of
exceeding pride—“The pride of Moab (he is exceeding proud)…I know his wrath.”
(Jer.48:29-30). “We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud...his pride and
his wrath” (Isa.16:6). “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud
wrath” (Prov.21:24). Saul was angry with David many times, because, in his pride,
he could not accept David as the God-appointed king. King Uzziah was lifted up
with pride and got very angry with the servants of God (II Chron.26:16-19). So
the pride of these four fallen angels is the pride manifested through anger.
The great deception here is that, those who have the worst type of anger think that this
nature is no problem to them at all! How is this? What is the worst type of anger? The
worst type of anger is hidden anger—keeping anger inside and smiling at the
person on the outside! The Bible says that, that which is seen is temporal, but
that which is not seen is eternal. Many sins, like stealing, smoking, drinking, etc.
cannot continue in hell. However, the Bible says that an angry man will continue
to be angry in hell; in fact, he will be gnashing and grinding his teeth in anger
(Matt.8:12).
There is an example for this type of anger in the Bible. When Levi and
Simeon heard that their sister Dinah was defiled by the prince of Shechem, they
hid their anger and pretended as though they wanted to make marriages with
them. However, when the opportu- nity came, Simeon and Levi took swords and
killed all the males of the land. Their anger was so bad that their own father,
Jacob, cursed their anger in his deathbed. “Simeon and Levi are brethren;
instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into
their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their
anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be their
anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and
scatter them in Israel” (Gen.49:5-7). Jacob blessed all his children; however, to
Simeon and Levi he did not give a single blessing—only a curse.
In one sense, an angry man is worse than an alcoholic. At times, when the
alcoholic is not drunk, he may be a good man; but an angry man is always a
dangerous man; like a volcanic eruption, his anger may bring sudden destruction
and death.
Dear friend, perhaps you have the worst type of anger—you may be very
clever in hiding your anger, irritation, hatred, bitterness, etc. On the outside you
appear to be friendly, but inside you are seething with anger. This is the worst
type of anger; it is hypocrisy. Repent with a broken and a contrite heart before
you receive a curse from your (heavenly) Father. There are a number of
Christians who have found a wonderful deliverance from the terrible spirit of
anger. After that, their lives have been transformed. In some cases, when people
were delivered from the spirit of anger, they testified that they felt as if a lion or
tiger had gone out of them. If you realize that your spirit of anger is a demonic
spirit, a terrible murderous spirit that has the potential to murder many, you will
cry out to God from the depth of your heart. Then you will find complete
deliverance and a wonderful peace will dawn on you. Just as light comes in when
darkness is dispelled, a gentle spirit will fill your heart when the angry spirit
leaves. God is able to bring you to a place where you have such a gentle spirit
that even if you want to be angry, you cannot. That is the wonderful grace of
God. A truly humble person will be free from anger, irritation, hatred, bitterness,
resentment, etc. All these are the foul offshoots of pride. May the dear Lord
teach us Christlike humility every day, so that we can be free from the snare of
pride.
4. THE ANGELS BOUND IN EVERLASTING CHAINS OF DARKNESS
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day” (Jude vs.6). They were “wandering stars, to whom is
reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” (Jude vs.13). “For if God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into
chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment...” (II Pet.2:4).
What was the sin of this group of angels? It was pride of independence or
self-will. These spirits did not want to remain where the Lord had kept them.
They behaved as if they were not in the best place, as if they knew of a better
place to go to. They were shining like stars, but they were wandering out of the
will of God.
We can also be like that. We may do many good things like preaching the
gospel, witnessing to others, feeding the poor, etc. but they may not be God’s
will but our own plan and will. Not remaining in the will of God is sheer rebellion
against God. Initially everything may seem alright, like Jonah’s running away
from Joppa; but later on, a storm struck the ship and he was in deep trouble.
When we go out of the will of God, we may not immediately confront any
problem, but a storm will certainly rise, and we may not be able to survive. We
may also endanger the lives of those with us, like in Jonah’s case.
The spirit of independence also makes us complain and murmur (Jude
vs.16). And we despise dominion (governments) and are not afraid to speak evil
of digni- ties (vs.8). We are told that, as judgment, these angels are bound in
chains of darkness and reserved in the blackness of darkness. This darkness is
not ordinary darkness. It is a tormenting darkness, a darkness that brings
unbearable pain. “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the
beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for
pain” (Rev.16:10). This darkness was so painful that they gnawed their tongues
in pain. The pride of independence or ministering according to our self-will will
eventually bring the blackness of darkness into our lives.
Dear friend, are you doing your own will? You may have the pride of
independence and you may never feel like consulting others (those you ought to
consult). Give up the pride of independence; do not be a wandering star, but go
where God and the leaders lead you. The will of God will never take you where
the grace of God cannot keep you.
5. SATAN
Satan is the chief of all the fallen angels. Jesus confirms that (Lk.11:15,18).
Satan is the embodiment of all evil. His pride is the worst one—subtle pride or
hidden pride. All his works are most subtle. In a subtle way he corrupts minds. “I
fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your
minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (II Cor.11:3). In
one sense, the mind is the capital of our spirit, soul and body. Once the capital of
a country is conquered, all the other places can be easily taken. The devil knows
that the true strength of a man is the strength of the mind. Once our mind is
corrupted or conquered, we are already in the pocket of the devil, even though
we may continue to go to church, pray, read the Bible, etc. When our mind is
corrupted, we are corrupted; when our mind is fallen, we are fallen.
“Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility”
(Col.2:18 NKJV). If we are not careful we can be trapped into ‘false humility’, which
is also dangerous. If a very proud man thinks that he is very humble, he has
absolutely no hope of being delivered from pride. It is possible to appear to be
very humble—many may appreciate and praise our humility. And the devil makes
us believe this great lie because he is a liar and the father of lies. It may be
shocking, but it is true that some who appear to be most humble may have the
worst type of pride!
Once a sister had a vision. She saw many people running a race, but when
they reached the gate of heaven, an angel of God asked them for a document,
which many failed to have. They were asked to go back to get it. The sister
asked what was written in the document. The angel replied, ‘Humility and purity.’
Those who were turned away had many other good qualities, but failed to have
humility and purity. Some were deceived into thinking that they had humility, but
it was false humility.
Never think you are humble, even if a million people tell you that! The moment you think you
are humble, you fall into the bottomless pit of pride, for pride is a bottomless pit! Did Jesus at
any time tell you that you are humble? Probably the devil has told you. Have you
ever heard the voice of God telling you that someone is humble? It is possible for
a saint’s humility to be appreciated after his death, but never before his death; because
just before he dies he could become very proud and lose all his blessings . In Chapters 2 and 3 of
the Book of Revelation, while writing to the seven churches in Asia, the Lord
appreciated their works, labour, patience, service, faith, love, etc., but never
their humility.
May the Lord help us. Let us give our mind to Christ and be clothed with true
humility, “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ”(II Cor.10:5).
Our pride is like the Himalayan mountain. If all our pride is shown to us on
one day, we may fall down under its weight and die. So God, in His mercy, shows
us our pride a little at a time through trials and tribulations so that we can
humble ourselves and repent and turn to God every day. Our pride is like a
bottomless pit; the deeper we go and search, the more of it we find.

CHAPTER 2
SOME ILL-EFFECTS OF PRIDE

We have already seen that all evil natures have their origin in pride.
Discussed in this chapter are a few evils that people do not generally associate
with pride.
SELF-PITY, DISSATISFACTION AND FINANCIAL WORRIES ARE THE BITTER
FRUITS OF PRIDE
Self-pity is a clear indication of long-cherished pride. King Saul was almost
an embodiment of pride. “There is none of you that is sorry for me” he lamented
(I Sam. 22:8). Proud people always complain and murmur saying, “Nobody cares
for me, nobody loves me, nobody understands.” In other words, in their pride,
they expect everyone to care for them or love them. (Who are you and what
greatness have you attained that everyone should love you, care for you, honour
or appreciate you?) The humble always think of loving, helping and caring for
others. (A life of pouring out ourselves in the service of others and for the glory
of God is the happiest and most blessed life.) In short, the proud dwell on their
rights (what others have not done for them) and the humble, on their
responsibilities (what they ought to do for others as children of God). In other
words, the proud are self-conscious and the humble, God-conscious.
Pride is the cause of greed and dissatisfaction. “Nothing is good enough for
me—I deserve more and more and more.” Even if God does everything in the
best way and gives the best, still the proud person is dissatisfied and keeps
complaining. The story is told of a woman who was always dissatisfied with her
potato crops. She complained to the pastor about how part of the crop always
turned out to be rotten potatoes. However, one year, the whole crop was very
good and there were absolutely no rotten potatoes. Still dissatisfied, she
complained: “Now what shall I give to my pigs?” The humble are always grateful
and satisfied with what God has provided, whether little or much. Godliness with
contentment is great gain. Humility helps us have both godliness and
contentment.
Most financial debts are the result of pride. It is pride that says, “I need
more comforts than I can afford. I deserve more luxuries than what God has
provided me with” (as if God is unfaithful and uncaring, and has not been a
faithful Provider). The humble live simple lives. They have no financial burden or
worry. Humility and faith are perfectly linked together. See Matthew 8:5-10 and
Matthew 15:22-28. The Syrophenician woman and the centurion were praised for
their great faith, as they both manifested great humility.
ENVY, A FOUL OFFSHOOT OF PRIDE
Pride makes you envious. “He is proud…whereof cometh envy” (I Tim.6:4).
When others are honoured, you cannot rejoice—you get upset and angry with
them. When the maidens of Israel sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and
David his ten thousands,” Saul’s pride was disturbed. Moved with envy, he
wanted to destroy David. That envy was the downfall of King Saul. If you have
envy, your feet can easily slip into the pit of hell—“But as for me, my feet were
almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish”
(Psa. 73:2,3). It is said that one of the worst pains in the human body is when
bones are decaying or rotting. This is what envy does to man. “A sound heart is
the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Prov.14:30). Can you rejoice
when someone who is younger than you or junior to you is exalted above you
and honoured more than you? Normally, people get angry, agitated and restless
in such situations, as did King Saul.
If envy drops you into hell, then rejoicing from the depths of your heart
when others are honoured more than you, will definitely carry you to heaven.
Although John the Baptist did not perform any miracle like Moses, Elijah, etc., he
became the greatest saint of the Old Testa- ment. How? His life and ministry
were clothed and crowned with divine humility. His joyful prayer was, “I must
decrease; He must increase.” (Jesus was younger than John and John started the
ministry well before Jesus; also, John baptized Jesus). He preached, “There
cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy
to stoop down and unloose” (Mk.1:7).
Envy kills. The Jews killed Jesus because of envy. (Matt.27:18). Your envy still
kills Jesus. The cure for envy is Christlike humility. Have you ever prayed like John
the Baptist— “Lord, I want to decrease,” or in other words, “Lord, please make
me smaller and smaller every day till I become nothing”? This is Christlike humility or
the spirit of Christ.
The spirit of Lucifer—“I must become greater, richer; I must have more
power, position, authority, fame, name, etc, etc”, possesses almost everyone in
the world. What will be the end of such people? “Yet thou shalt be brought down
to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isa.14:15).
THE PROUD JUSTIFY THEMSELVES AND ARE IMPATIENT
Pride will not allow you to admit your mistakes. You will always find a lame
excuse or put the blame on someone else in order to justify yourself. Why?
Unlike many other sins, pride makes you blind—you cannot see your own faults,
but find many in others. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, having the ‘pride of
life’, acted like this (Gen.3:11-13).
Christ’s humility is exemplary. Pilate, the Saddu- cees and the Pharisees
charged Him with many crimes, but He kept silent. While hanging on the cross,
many passers-by mocked at Him and spoke insulting words, but He kept silent.
Joseph of the Old Testament too had a similar humility. Potiphar’s wife accused
him of immorality, but he kept silent. Think for a moment— if Joseph had
defended himself and accused Mrs.Potiphar, who would have believed him? But
as Joseph kept his mouth shut, when the right time came, God raised him above
them all and vindicated him. How true the Word of God is! “He sitteth alone and
keepeth silence…he putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope”
(Lam. 3:28,29). What does this verse teach? If you open your mouth to defend
and justify yourself, you have no hope! The converse is also true. Joseph had the
hope of a bright future because he kept silent; Jesus had the hope of a blessed
resurrection because He kept silent. Dear child of God, are you being falsely
accused and mis- understood? Unless the Lord permits you, do not open your
mouth to justify yourself. When the right time
comes God will justify you. And when God defends and justifies you, all the
mouths that speak against you will be shut.
Pride makes you impatient with the mistakes of others. You do not realize
how patient God has been with you. This is a true saying: “The more perfect you
are, the more you will bear with the imperfections of others and the more
imperfect you are, the more impatient you will be with others’ mistakes.” The
proud in spirit can never be patient in spirit. Also, the patient in spirit will have a
better end—“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the
patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Eccl.7:8). “You have heard of
Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about” (Jas.5:11
NIV). In other words, since Job was patient, the Lord worked out a better end for
him. The only way you can get the spirit of patience is by driving out the spirit of
pride. The more humble you are, the more patient you will be. Only such people
can patiently wait for the Coming of the Lord. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the
Coming of the Lord” (Jas.5:7).
DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION
Very often, discouragement and depression are the result of pride. (See I
Kgs.Ch.19). Elijah thought that he was better than his fathers. When he realised
he was wrong, his pride was crushed and he became thoroughly discouraged, to
the extent that he wanted to die (vs.4). Likewise, when Jonah’s pride was hurt,
he too wanted to die.
When you are discouraged, do not pray, “Lord, take me. I want to die.” In
fact, that is the worst moment in which to die. It is better to pray, “Lord, please
help me get rid of my pride.” Elijah prayed to die. That was about three thousand
years ago; still, his prayer is not answered. Now he has to come again to the
earth during the Tribulation Period and die.
Sometimes people commit suicide because of dis-couragement. Many do
not realise that at the root of most discouragements is pride. Ahithophel was a
very wise counsellor; his counsels were greatly respected by kings. However, one
day the king rejected his counsel and accepted someone else’s. His pride was
deeply hurt. Obviously, he sank into a deep depression and discouragement,
and as a result, committed suicide (II Sam.17:23). One of David’s outstanding
qualities is his humility and gentleness. There was a time when, in Ziklag, he lost
everything—his wives, children, house, etc; and, to top it all, his own followers
wanted to stone him! Ordinarily, any man would be deeply discouraged in such a
situation. But of David we read, “David encouraged himself in the Lord” (I
Sam.30:6).
Dear friend, you may have health, wealth, name, fame and everything the
world can offer; but if you do not have real Christlike humility, one day all these
will become a snare to you. You may sink into a deep depression and you will not
find any comfort or solace unless you seek the humility of Christ. On the other
hand, if you are truly humble, when you face life’s deepest problems, you will be
an encouragement to others who have similar problems. A humble person will never
get discouraged or depressed. Paul is an example for this. His confession was: “(I) am
less than the least of all saints” (Eph.3:8). “Serving the Lord with all humility of
mind” he wrote (Acts 20:19). When he was sailing to Rome as a prisoner, a
terrible tempest rose and
they lost all hope of survival. Although Paul was a prisoner in chains, he not only
found encouragement in the Lord, but also encouraged others, saying, “I exhort
you to be of good cheer” (Acts 27:22). These were not mere empty words; the
passage shows that this dear
man of God, through his encouraging words and deeds, rescued all the
passengers in the ship, for the glory
of God.
If you are a proud man, one day calamity may suddenly strike to humble
you, and all your friends, possessions, mansions and money will flee from you.
You will be left alone to face the situation. Where will you go? Who will help you?
What will you do? “We have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves…
and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies” (Isa.28:15,17). Money, friends, etc., are
false refuges that shall be swept away by the hail, by sudden trials.
FEAR, A PRODUCT OF PRIDE
Many people are ignorant of the fact that fear is connected with pride.
Proud Saul was afraid of David. “Saul was yet the more afraid of David” (I
Sam.18:29). Remember that David was only a shepherd boy who
was playing the harp to help Saul. Saul was the king of Israel and he was going
about with a javelin, trying to kill David. It is David who should have been afraid
of Saul, and not Saul of David.
God resists the proud. God is the Essence and Author of all good things. So,
when God resists the proud man, he loses all the goodness and blessings of God.
Fear is nothing but the anticipation of losing something. The fear of death is the
anticipation of losing life; the fear of the future is the anticipation of losing
something good in the future, etc. As God resists the proud man and withdraws
from him all His lasting goodness, the proud man is bound to be in the dungeon
of fear all his life.
Conversely, God gives grace to the humble. All the goodness of God can be
called the grace of God. So the humble are compassed about and crowned with
all the goodness of God; they have no reason to fear. In Psalm 34:4-6 we read
that when the poor man (humble man) cried, the Lord heard him and delivered
him from all his troubles and all his fears. St.Paul was one who confessed that he
was “less than the least of all saints”. When he was arrested and about to be
executed in the prison (dungeon) of Emperor Nero, he wrote a letter to the
believers at Philippi, ending it on a triumphant note: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the
Lord” (Phil.3:1). Can we trace any fear in that humble saint in such horrifying
circumstances? The lesson is very clear—if we are to be free from all fears even
when on the verge of death, we should learn true humility.
At times, people feel condemned because of pride. “Lest being lifted up with
pride he (will) fall into the condemnation of the devil” (I Tim.3:6). Sometimes,
condemnation can devastate even saintly people. People can come to a state in
which they will condemn themselves saying, “I have no hope. God has forsaken
me. I have committed terrible sins that God will never forgive. I am on the way to
hell, etc.” Condemnation is a tormenting spirit. Sometimes, people even
commit suicide when urged by this spirit. A humble saint will never be attacked
by this condemning spirit.
There are virtually millions of blessings in humility and millions of evils in
pride. The purpose of living on earth is to know God and enjoy Him. Unless we
learn humility, we cannot know or enjoy Him. May the dear Lord help us to learn
Christlike humility.
CHAPTER 3
THE PROUD HAVE A TERRIBLE END

There is no book in the world that gives warnings about the danger of pride,
like the Bible. Proud people have a terrible end. One example is King Herod.
“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne,
and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the
voice of god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote
him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave
up the ghost” (Acts 12:21-23). This wicked king killed St.James and impri- soned
Apostle Peter, intending to kill him. Also, he killed the prison guards unjustly. All
these wicked acts did not bring God’s judgment on him instantly; but when he
failed to give glory to God, a three-fold judgment came immediately: the angel of
God smote him, his body was eaten of worms, and he died. Perhaps, Herod
spoke of his own greatness. How careful we should be to give glory to God in all
aspects of our life and ministry! The worms can show our pride (spiritual pride
can be the worst one) that eats up our inner man. We are often guilty of taking
glory for the work we have done—we fail to realise that it is a terrible sin in the
sight of God. How can we know we have Herod’s sin in us? We get upset when
people do not appreciate us for what we have done but criticize us.
King Saul’s downfall began when he magnified himself. It was Jonathan who
smote the garrison of the Philistines but he had it proclaimed that he did it (I
Sam. 13:3,4). We lose our anointing and ministry when we emulate King Saul.
The death of proud Saul was terrible. First of all, the Philistines in the battle
fatally wounded him. In great pain he pleaded with his armour-bearer, “Draw thy
sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and
thrust me through, and abuse me” (I Sam.31:4) However, his armour-bearer was
afraid to kill him. “Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.” Please observe
his terrible pride while dying. It was against his dignity to have an uncircumcised
Philistine kill him—he was more concerned about his proud dignity than about
the destiny of his soul. Finally Saul asked an Amalekite to kill him and that was
worse than a Philistine killing him. The Amalekite had difficulty in killing Saul. He
had to stand on him and cut off his head.
A proud man's life is terrible; his death, more terrible. However, humble people have
a life of rest, and their death is entering into eternal rest. “Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord…that they may rest” (Rev.14:13). They have a blessed end
in their life and ministry. “That He might humble thee…to do thee good at thy
latter end” (Deut.8:16). For example, look at David. In one sense, he sinned more
than King Saul, by committing sin with Bathsheba and killing her husband to
cover up his sin. Yet he had one beautiful quality; he learned to humble himself.
He calls himself a dead dog, a flea (I Sam. 24:14). Look at the glorious end of this
humble man: “And he (David) died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and
honour” (I Chron.29:28).
Even the worst person in the world, regardless of what he has done, will
receive forgiveness and cleansing if he humbles himself before God.
“But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work
wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife, stirred up. And he did
very abominably in following idols...he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon
his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the
LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself
before Me? because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his
days.” (I Kgs.21:25-29). Obviously, Ahab was the worst person on earth in his
generation and the worst of the kings of Israel. Yet, as soon as he humbled
himself, God had mercy on him. He was spared the judgment of God.
Another big example of God’s great mercy is
Manasseh, king of Judah. Not only was he wicked, but he also made the whole
kingdom of Judah commit sins worse than the heathen. However, when he
humbled
himself, God restored him to Jerusalem and to his kingdom —“Manasseh made
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen,
...And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was
in- treated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to
Jerusalem into his kingdom” (II Chron. 33:9-13). Bringing Manasseh back to
Jerusalem signifies, restoring peace of mind (Jerusalem means ‘city of peace’).
Bringing him back to his kingdom signifies restoring the lost ministry, gifts,
talents, blessings, grace and other riches.
May the Lord grant all of us the grace to be humble and to give glory to
God in everything so that our end may be one of eternal rest.
CHAPTER 4
HUMILITY—A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

There are many spiritual blessings linked with humility. A life of humility is
indeed a beautiful one.
“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a
cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and
his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his
right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth” (Rev.10:1,2).
The phrase, ‘come down’, signifies our humbling ourselves. The higher a
saint goes in his spiritual life, the humbler he will be. On the other hand, pride is
a bottomless pit and those who are there do not go down or humble themselves.
They only try to ‘jump up’. Dear child of God, where are you? Are you in heaven
or in the bottomless pit? If you are pushing yourself up by seeking earthly
position and honour, perhaps you are in the pit of hell. Remember, only those
who are in ‘heaven’ can ‘come down’.
“Mighty angel come down”: The spiritual lesson we learn from this is that
our might or strength is in ‘coming down’ or humbling ourselves. Pride weakens
a person, not only spiritually, but at times, physically too. Obviously, Lucifer was
a mighty angel before he fell through pride. However, after the fall, he became
weak. “Art thou also become weak as we?” (Isa.14:10).
“Clothed with a cloud”: A cloud is one of the lightest substances and it is
connected with heaven. It is pride that makes life a heavy burden; humility
makes life light. Jesus said, “My burden is light.”
“A rainbow was upon his head”: The rainbow signifies a covenant with God
or a covenant of God. Those who are willing to ‘come down’, will always find
grace to keep their covenants with God. In case we have broken a covenant with
God in any area of our life, let us examine ourselves and see why. Perhaps the
root cause is pride or egotism.
“His face was as it were the sun”: About our glori- fied Lord, we see the
same description: “His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength”
(Rev.1:16). May this encourage all of us as God’s children, to seek the humility of
Christ, so that our face or character may shine with the glory of God.
“His feet as pillars of fire”: The feet (walk of life) of humble ones are as
pillars of fire. No fire can harm or burn them as they pass through fiery trials.
“When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned: the flames will not set
you ablaze” (Isa.43:2 NIV).
“And he had in his hand a little book open”: The open book refers to the
Bible. The truth of the Word of God is opened or revealed to the humble saints
who are also called babes—“I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes” (Matt.11:25). God reveals the deeper truths of the
Word of God to the humble, but the ‘proud know nothing’ (I Tim.6:4).
“He set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth”: This
shows power and authority over the whole earth. True humility gives one divine
authority not only over the whole earth, but also over the powers of darkness. “I
saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a
great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (Rev.20:1,2). How
amazing it is that one ordinary angel, when he came down, had the power to bind
the devil and cast him into the bottomless pit!
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having
great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Rev.18:1). Humility not
only gives great heavenly power, but also lightens the whole earth with God’s
glory. Saints with true humility are the light of the whole world.
Jesus came down from heaven to do the will of the Father. “For I came down
from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (Jn.6:38).
Only those who come down or humble themselves can do the whole will of God,
as our Lord did.
New Jerusalem, the overcoming Church of God was seen “coming down from
God out of heaven”(Rev.21:2). Those who willingly humble themselves and come
down now, will one day (and it can be today) hear the trumpet of the Lord from
heaven saying, “Come up hither” (Rev.4:1). Let us therefore “make haste, and come
down” (Lk.19:5).
HUMBLE PEOPLE NEVER GET OFFENDED OR HURT
It may be shocking, but it is true, that the root cause of bitterness, hatred
and hurt feelings is a most proud spirit. “The most proud shall stumble and fall, and
none shall raise him up”(Jer.50:32). ‘Stumble’ also means, ‘get offended’ or ‘be
hurt’. No one, man or angel, can help the most proud when he falls. When people
fall because of various other sins, they may be helped up, but when people fall
because of pride, no one can help them. This should open everyone’s eyes to the
terrible consequences of pride.
If you humble yourself and realize you are nothing but dust, then there is
nothing to be offended about even if people speak evil of you or treat you badly.
After all, ‘dust’ has no right to be offended even if people trample on it or spit on
it. A humble person can never get hurt (for being reproached, ridiculed, humiliated,
persecuted, etc.). When you are hurt, it is your pride that is hurt. When you say,
“I am deeply hurt”, you are actually saying that you have deep pride. You may
not admit it, of course, because of pride!
For one minute, think of a beautiful life—one free from anger, irritation,
hurts and offences. Money, mansions, and materials will not make you happy or
comfort- able. We often create our own problems. Your happiness is not based on
your surroundings or what is happening to you, but on how you react to your
surroundings or on your attitude towards what is happening to you. For example,
you may plant an apple seed and a worm wood seed in a garden, and use the
same fertilizer and water for both seeds. But finally, the apple tree will produce
juicy apples and the wormwood tree, very bitter fruits. Both of them enjoyed the
same water, fertilizer, ground, etc. What made the difference then? The
difference is in the seed. The difference is, the state of your heart, which is like a
seed. The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. A wormwood tree can never be
changed into an apple tree. But though your heart may be bitter, even worse
than a wormwood plant, God can change it into an apple tree that produces
juicy, sweet apples.
HUMILITY IS A LIFE OF REST
Pride makes one unteachable. Proud people cannot be corrected or
disciplined. If anyone tries to teach or correct a proud person, he will shout, “I
know everything. No one need correct or teach me.” One who is proud knows
nothing, as he cannot be taught anything. For the same reason, pride makes one
independent. “I don’t need to consult anyone. I know I am right; so there is no
need for me to get someone else’s opinion.” The meek and humble can be
taught and corrected. “The meek will He teach His way” (Psa.25:9).
When Jesus came to this world He always spoke about the greatness of His
Father. The only time He spoke about Himself (His character) was when He said,
“Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls” (Matt.11:29). Jesus is meek and lowly; and He has asked us to learn of
Him. Why?—in order that we may find rest for our souls. Now the whole world is
without rest because it has rejected the good counsel of our Lord. However,
those few who have learned His meekness and lowliness are blessed people, for
they have rest in their souls. Dear Reader, do you want to have real rest? Then
learn Christlike humility. “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the
wicked” (Isa.57:20,21).
God is humble. Therefore only the humble can know God and learn of Him.
In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col.2:3). In other
words, Christ is the greatest University in the world. The qualification to enter
this University is humility. How sad it is, but how true, that although He is the
greatest University, very few have entered this divine Institution to learn blessed
things for this life and for all eternity!
Once you enter a life of peace and rest, nothing in this world, neither man
nor devil, can disturb your rest. In cemeteries, you can see tombstones bearing
the inscription: ‘Rest in peace’. This should be applicable in our lives even while we
live.
The more humble you are, the more rest and peace you will have. The more
proud you are, the more restless and confused you will be. Today, humble
yourself and enter the greatest University. You will enjoy every moment in this
unique University and your life will be transformed. Also, your life will inspire
others to live a humble life.
HUMILITY AND PURITY GO TOGETHER
God gives grace to the humble. Someone has defined ‘grace’ as God’s Riches
At Christ’s Expense. We receive the riches of His holiness as we partake of His
humility. In Colossians 3:12 also we find humility and holiness linked together.
“Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy...humbleness of mind.” “For thus saith
the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose name is Holy; I dwell in
the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to
revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones”
(Isa.57:15). Although God is the High and Lofty One, He dwells with the humble.
“These are they which were not defiled…these are they which follow the
Lamb” (Rev.14:4). Here the word in the original language for ‘defiled’ is ‘Moluno’
which means ‘defiled in thoughts’. Therefore, we have to read this verse as,
“These are they which were not defiled in their thoughts.” ‘Following the Lamb’
means following the meekness and humility of Christ. (The lamb is a symbol of
meekness and humility.) So, we understand that only those who are not defiled
in their thoughts can follow the humility of Christ. Such saints will shine as
precious stones in Zion.
If you are ambitious and desire to be rich, great, famous, etc. in this world,
you may never know what true holiness is. That is why so many Christians are
struggling to live a holy life and finding it a perpetual struggle.
The desire for positions, greatness, etc., is the spirit of Lucifer. The desire of
a truly humble man would be “I must decrease; He [or others] must increase.”
Very often, sad to say, even in Christian circles, the general attitude is, “I must
increase and others must decrease.” So many Chris- tians and Christian
ministers fight for positions and titles, and get involved in power struggles.
Seldom do we find saints who are eager to give up their position and authority to
others, and hide themselves in Christ. Such are the true saints who can truly live
a holy life. For humble people, a holy life is not a struggle, but a wonderful gift of grace.
Humble people always have revival in their life. Remember the first move of
the Spirit was upon the waters! (Gen.1:2). One good thing about water is that it
always runs to take the lowest place. That must be our spirit or attitude. St.Paul
says that he is “less than the least of all saints” (Eph.3:8). It is not surprising
therefore that this humble man lived a holy life and was able to say that he had
brought every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Cor.10:5).
Some are spiritually revived at weekends, in religious conventions and
camps; but at other times they are dry and depressed. Dear child of God, do you
find at times that you are spiritually dry? There is a secret that can keep you
always revived. It is true humility! Always be willing and eager to take the lowest
place like water, and you will have a revival until the Lord comes!
CHAPTER 5
NO PRIDE WHATSOEVER
IN CHRIST
Right from birth to death, our Lord has shown us a perfect example of
humility. “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to
you” (Jn. 13:15). If we do not follow His humility, we may not be following the
Lord at all. Listed below are a few examples of our Lord’s humility while on earth.
By no means can this be a comprehensive list. One fact truly stands out—the more we
learn of His humility, the more we will hunger and thirst for it—and that is great blessedness!
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst…for they shall be filled.” May the admirable
humility of Christ inspire us in our day-to-day life.
1. There was no pride in Christ’s birth or in the beginning of His earthly

life
Being the Almighty God, Jesus could have been born in a magnificent palace
with great pomp and glory, but He was laid “in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn”(Lk.2:7). In those days there were no cars, so travellers
journeyed on horses, donkeys, etc. They lodged in inns and tied their animals in
the cattle-sheds provided by the inns. Hence, the cattle-sheds in the inns in olden
days can be compared to the car park provided in most modern hotel premises.
Our Saviour, in His great humility, was born in a public car park, no, in a place
worse than a car park—in a public cattle-shed which was probably filthy and foul-
smelling. What a humble beginning for His earthly life! If we have a revelation of
this we will never boast of our birth status, even if we were born in a palace. Let
us never try to be greater than our Lord and Saviour.
Just as our Lord’s birth reflected His deep humility, every spiritual birth is
connected with humility. There are many spiritual births or important spiritual
experiences in Christian life. For example, there are the experiences of being
born again, born of water, born of the Spirit, born in Zion, etc. Each of these
births or spiritual experiences should take us to a deeper and deeper life of
humility. There are many who are born again, born of water (water baptism) and
born of the Spirit (baptism in the Holy Spirit). However, some are very dry and
have no proper spiritual growth. One main reason for this could be that they
have not learnt the humility of Christ. There should be in us a growth in humility
proportionate to the spiritual experiences we attain. Any spiritual experience
without humility is like a body without life. A truly humble child of God will never
be dry in his spiritual life—he will always have a revival which no man or devil
can quench. There is no trial that can put out the revival fire in him.
Dear child of God, are you spiritually dry? You may be born again, born of
water and born of the Spirit, but you may not have given room for the humility of
Christ. There may be many vain boastings in your heart. There may be hurt
feelings, an unforgiving spirit and anger in you. Remember, your Christian life has not
truly begun, unless you have tasted the humility of Christ in your spirit! May the dear Lord help
us start a true Christian life at least today. Better late than never!
2. Jesus had no pride in the beginning of His ministry
Christ started the ministry with fasting. Fasting is a sign of humbling oneself
before God. “I humbled my soul with fasting” (Psa.35:13). By the way, this does
not mean that all those who fast are humble. However, if we do it in the right
way, fasting will definitely help us to humble ourselves before God. Dear friend, if
you have never fasted, your humility is a false one! Today, many so-called Christians
do not fast even once a week. It is not a surprise therefore that they are
spiritually (and sometimes physically) very weak!
When Jesus began His ministry, the devil came to tempt Him. If we carefully
consider, we can see that all those temptations were directed at His humility.
“And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. But He answered and said, It is
written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:3,4). The devil’s temptation was to make Jesus
perform a miracle for His own glory, to prove to others that He is the Son of God.
Jesus humbly stated, “Man shall not live...” acknowledging and humbling Himself
to be a man. Although He had the power to change stones into bread, He refused to
per-
form a miracle for His own glory or personal comfort. Again the devil tempted the humility
of Christ in another deceptive way: “And (the devil) saith unto Him, If Thou be
the Son of God, cast Thyself down...Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou
shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt.4:6,7). Here again the temptation was to
show Himself as the Son of God. Instead, Jesus humbly acknowledged the Lord
God saying, “Lord thy God”. Finally Jesus was able to command, “Get thee
hence, Satan”, and Satan had to obey. Only humble saints have authority and
power over Satan.
Just as Jesus began His ministry with humility, we must begin every ministry
and every day with humility. Start everything with humility; every day, as you start
your work in your work-place, start with a humble prayer. If you do this, you will
find tremendous grace to bear the stress and strain of the day. Start your school
life, business, married life, etc., with a humble spirit and meek attitude. When we
make plans for anything, whether it is a small or big matter, let us examine
ourselves and see whether we are doing it with Christlike humility or for our own
glory (which is vain glory!). Anything done without humility will ultimately be a
failure. Christlike humility triumphs over everything and brings us everlasting
happiness and eternal riches. We must be like camels. Every morning and
evening, they humbly kneel before their master; in the morning to receive the
master’s burden and in the evening to be relieved of it.
3. Jesus had no pride of family status
“Is not this the carpenter’s son?” Jesus belonged to a carpenter’s family. A
carpenter’s son has nothing to boast about his family. Jesus could have chosen to
be born to a great king and queen in a royal palace. But that would have marred
the example of His humility. True, some children of God are born in families of
great dignity. But, how often we forget the humility of our Master and try to show
others the greatness of our background and family! Sad to say, even some who
are born in poor families try to present themselves to others with much show.
4. There was no pride of citizenship in Christ
Some people, particularly those who live in rich countries, have a pride
about the place they live in. Jesus lived in a poor village called Nazareth. There
was absolutely no goodness attached to this village. “Can there any good thing
come out of Nazareth?” someone asked (Jn.1:46). Jesus chose not to live in Rome
or Jerusalem, the royal historical cities of the then world. In whatever city or
village God has placed us, let us live humbly, not giving any glory to the place,
but to Christ. Let us rejoice over the Celestial City we belong to, whose Builder
and Maker is God (Heb.11:10).
5. There was no pride of beauty in Christ
About our Lord we read, “He is altogether lovely” (S.S.5:16). His beauty is
the beauty of holiness and the beauty of character. In that sense, He is fairer
than ten thousands. Let us be content with whatever physical beauty God has
given us. Any attempt we make to get artificial beauty, is a sure sign of pride.
Proud Jezebel painted her face, but punishment soon came upon her (II Kgs.9:30-
35).
Many people are ignorant of the fact that the first judgment on the earth in
the days of Noah was connected with the beauty of women – “The sons of God
saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all
which they chose”; “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great”; “And
the Lord said, I will destroy man” (Gen.6:2,5,7). Why did the daughters of men
(ungodly people) appear more beautiful than godly women? God gives godly
women an inward beauty of purity rather than outward beauty. Ungodly women
have no inward beauty, so they are very keen on outer or artificial beauty. In this
passage, the artificial beauty of the ungodly women seems to have attracted the
sons of God (God’s children) and this ended in the judgment by flood. The point is
this—if the artificial beauty of ungodly women was so harmful and brought
judgment, how much more harm and greater judgment the artificial beauty of
godly women can bring!
Some argue, “God looks only at the heart, not the outward appearance.”
“Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess.5:22,23). From this
text it is very clear that if your outward appearance is ‘evil’, it will hinder the
sanctification of your spirit, soul and body. Also, you cannot be preserved
blameless till the Coming of Christ. “Whose adorning let it not be that outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price,” teaches Peter (I Pet.3:3,4). Undoubtedly, God is very concerned about
simplicity in outward appearance as well as the ‘hidden man of the heart’. Also,
the reason why some want to appear glorious on the outside is because they are
not glorious within. “That ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in
appearance, and not in heart,” we read (II Cor.5:12). The Bride of Christ has no
artificial beauty, whereas the Antichrist’s bride has (Rev.17:3,4).
“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:6). Be content with the
beauty God has given you; that will be great gain, or else you will suffer great loss.
How? Those who try to be artificially attractive are oversensi- tive to minor
blemishes. Although those blemishes may not be noticeable to others, they can
be a source of constant mental torture. Very often, the tendency is that those
who are attractive try to be even more attractive, not being satisfied with what
God has given them. Such people have in them a great fear of losing their
attraction and this can bring depression, uneasiness, envy and frustration. This is
the pathetic state of many beauty- conscious people. The older they get, the
more fearful they become of losing their beauty. Finally they feel dejected when
they find others more attractive; some in the end commit suicide or end up in a
mental assylum.
6. Our Saviour had no pride of praise
It is natural for a person to love the praises of people. Very few saints have
discovered the fact that it is because of pride that we seek the praises of people.
Jesus did not have the pride of praise. “He is despised and rejected of men”
(Isa.53:3). Even some very great saints, in spite of having overcome many
unsanctified natures, find it difficult to overcome this—the craving for human
appreciation or recognition. “They loved the praise of men more than the praise
of God” (Jn.12:43) This indeed is a snare, for those who love the praise of men
may get depressed and upset when they are criticized. When we truly learn the
humility of Christ, we will love, in a special way, those who find fault with us.
However, if we get hurt when people criticize us, we are in the deep pit of pride.
Before coming to the earth, Jesus had praise and worship from all the
angels in heaven. But when He left the glories of heaven and came down to
earth as man, He was rejected, despised, spat upon, buffeted, ridiculed, and
finally, crucified as if He were the worst criminal on earth. But our Lord went
through these without murmuring and complaining. For the joy that was set
before Him, He endured the cross.
Dear child of God, if you love the praise of men, in all probability, you are
going to miss the praise of God at the end. True, there may be times when
people praise us and appreciate us, but our hearts should not rejoice in that. The
man who is elated by praises and depressed by criticism is a carnal man. The
cross was the worst form of rejection, but resurrection proved the Father’s
approval and appreciation. Better to get our Lord’s appreciation at the end and
enter into the joy of the Lord, than to have a million people appreciating and
praising us and then end up in hell.
Look at the example of our Lord. On the day of His triumphant entry into
Jerusalem, all the people sang ‘Hosanna’; even small children sang and praised
our Lord. There was no other day on earth when our Saviour was appreciated
and exalted by man as on that day. In the midst of all that appreciation and
praise, what did our Lord do? He wept looking toward Jerusalem: “The whole
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice”;
“And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it
” (Lk.19:37,41). What an example of humility!
7. Jesus had no pride of wealth
Our Lord started the ministry with hunger and finished with thirst. He did
not own a house nor did He rent one: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air
have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (Lk.9:58). There
is nothing wrong in being rich, but the longing for wealth and expensive living
(luxury cars, expensive houses, etc.,) stems from the spirit of pride and may
bring a snare. Therefore, “having food and raiment let us be therewith content”
(I Tim.6:8). The love of money (not lack of money) is the root of all evil.
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come
upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your
gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you,
and shall eat your flesh as it were fire” (Jas.5:1-3). What a terrible warning! The
rich man has to howl and cry for his miseries. If we love silver and gold or money,
it can virtually be a fire that eats up our flesh!
“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the
love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I
Tim.6:9,10). This text shows that if we love the riches of this world, we can fall
into many temptations and snares. Also, many foolish and hurtful lusts may
destroy our spirit, soul and body. Finally, we pierce ourselves with many sorrows
and lose our faith in the Lord.
The original Hebrew word for ‘very rich’ also means ‘very heavy’. One man
of God says, “There is a burden of care in getting riches, fear in keeping them,
temptation in misusing them, guilt in abusing them and sorrow in losing them
and giving an account for them to God on the horrible day of judgment.”
Brethren, let us not fall into the pride of wealth. If it pleases God to give us
riches, let us consider the poor and spend our material riches for eternal riches.
8. Our Lord had no spiritual pride
About our Lord Jesus Christ we read, “I am a worm, and no man; a reproach
of men, and despised of the people” (Psa.22:6). A worm that crawls on the
ground has nothing to boast of. In spite of all the spiritual blessings we have
received, let us realize that we are but dust and must go back to dust. If we have
anything in us, it is because the Lord is everything to us.
Of all the different types of human pride, one of the worst kinds of pride is
the attitude, “I am holier than thou”. Therefore, spiritual pride has the worst
punishment. “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.
These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is
written before me: I will not keep silence but will recompense, even recompense
into their bosom” (Isa.65:5,6).
9. Jesus had no pride of self-esteem or self-importance
Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt.11:29). Our pride may not
let us esteem others better than ourselves. Consequently, we get offended
when others do not accept us. If we surrender our pride or self- importance, we
can rejoice and leap for joy when others mock us or speak evil of us falsely.
Unfortunately, many Christians, when persecuted or reproached, instead of
leaping for joy, howl and cry or complain and murmur in self-pity.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil,
for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold,
your reward is great in heaven” (Lk.6:22,23). Perhaps less than one percent of
Christians practise this beautiful text. Why cannot others practise it? Man is
willing to dedicate anything but his name. We do not want anybody to speak evil
of us—we want a good name. If at any time our name is spoilt, we get frus-
trated, angry and upset. Jesus lost His good name. People called Him,
‘Beelzebub’, the chief of the demons. He was counted a criminal, rather, the chief
criminal, and was crucified between two criminals in public view. He was spat
upon, blindfolded and buffeted. All these things humiliated Christ, yet He
suffered them all. Since His name was spoilt, the Father gave Him a name far
above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow and every
tongue may confess that Jesus is the Lord. This is a wonderful truth that is
applicable to our spiritual life. If we learn to rejoice and leap for joy when our
name is spoilt for no fault of ours, then, all the demons shall tremble and fall at
our feet for the glory of God. On the other hand, if we become sad and depressed
when people reject and reproach us, the devil will take the upper hand in our life.
Beware—the devil may make your life miserable all through with this trick!
Remember, the devil, like a thief, comes to us through the weak door in our
character. Dear friend, surrender your self-importance at the foot of the cross to
be able to rejoice and leap for joy when you are neglected and rejected; your
reward in heaven will be great and on earth, the devil will be crushed under your
feet.
10. Jesus had no pride of superiority
What is the pride of superiority? It is the attitude or imagination that we are

superior to others and therefore others should respect us, serve us or obey us.
It is also the thought that our ideas and plans are better than those of others. We
get angry and upset with those who do not accept or respect our ideas. However,
look at the beautiful spirit of Christ. “I am among you as He that
serveth”(Lk.22:27).
The modern word for pride or a feeling of superiority can be, ‘showing off’.
Look at the Antichrist’s showing off—“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thess.2:4). In one sense, the
pride of superiority is exalting oneself above others so that people may ‘worship’
and respect us and be submissive to us.
We want people to know how clever, great, rich, wise and strong we are.
We want our dress, behaviour, walk and talk to show our ‘greatness’ or
‘superiority’. Some saints think that this was one of the greatest problems of
King Solomon. Look at his showing off—“I made me great works; I builded me
houses; I planted me vine- yards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted
trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith
the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had
servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle
above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold
and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me singers and
women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and
that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me
in Jerusalem” (Eccl.2:4-9). But finally, what happened to the man who perhaps
was the greatest show-off ever in the whole world? “Then I looked on all the works that my
hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all
was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun”
(Eccl.2:11). Some saints think that Solomon might have had a nervous
breakdown at the end of his life because he started muttering ‘vanity, vanity,
vanity of vanities’ like a mad man. What a tragic end for a man who had such
magnificent things to show off!
Precious child of God, take one moment to examine yourself and see if you
are under the power of the pride of superiority. It is like a powerful drug. The
more you have it, the more you long for it—until it makes you insensible or mad.
Remember, Solomon’s wisdom, by his showing-off, turned into madness. Finally, he
himself admitted it saying, “I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and
folly” (Eccl.2:12). History also teaches us that many who had the pride of
superiority ended up mad or mentally sick.
May the Lord grant us the grace to empty ourselves of all such pride so
that our boasting will always be in the Lord of glory alone. The end of such saints
will definitely be glorious.
11. Our Lord had no pride of education
Jesus never went to school. “How can He know so much when He had not
been to school?” (Jn.7:15- Living Bible). There is nothing wrong with education; in
fact, it is a blessing in many ways. However, there can be a pride in it.
Sometimes we want others to know about our higher education, degrees and
titles. If we have not properly surrendered our education to the Lord, it can
become a great hindrance to our spiritual life and to our doing the will of God.
“Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). His forty
years of education or scholastic achievement in the palace of Egypt had to be
crushed with forty years of hardship in the wilderness.
It is a fact that knowledge without character is dangerous. Therefore the
Word of God rightly states, “Add…to virtue [character] knowledge” (II Pet.1:5).
The level of education you have in the world and the level of your character
should be in perfect balance, or else you will be an “educated fool”. This is a
great problem in our high schools and colleges. Young people learn a lot of the
world but they have very little moral or spiritual education. Therefore, a good
number of students come out of universities with a corrupted character. Many
learn in their colleges to smoke, drink, take drugs and indulge in immorality. It is
not surprising therefore, that when such people hold important positions in
society, they corrupt the whole society. Let us not forget that ability and
education may bring us to the top, but only character can keep us there.
St.Paul was a great scholar—even the governor Festus knew about his
“much learning”(Acts 26:24). But since he counted all things (and that included
his great learning), as dung in order to know Christ, his “much learning” was a
great source of blessing, and it still is today—look at his epistles, they are so
profound and a source of blessing to many.
Dear friend, you may have some special qualifications or degrees, which
many others may not have. A vain boasting about it in your heart will hinder God
from using your education for His glory. Like St.Paul, if you count it as dung for
the “excellency of the knowledge of Christ”, then God can make your learning a
blessing to millions for the glory of God. Let your educational qualifications be
hidden and let only Christ be seen in and through you. Let us surrender all our
achievements, goals and credentials at the feet of the Lord.
12. Jesus had no pride of travelling
Jesus always travelled within a radius of two hundred miles, and mostly on
foot. He hardly went out of the country. When He was a baby, He was taken to
Egypt for a short time (Matt.2:14) and He went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon
once during His ministry(Mk.7:24)—that was all. There is nothing wrong in
travelling. St. Paul travelled a lot while ministering to the different churches. It is
the spirit or motive behind travelling that we should be careful of. Some brag
about their travelling, saying, “I have gone around the world five times; I have
visited so many countries, etc.” With St.Paul, let us also confess, “God forbid that
I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal.6:14).
13. Our Lord had no racial pride
Many do not realize that there is a pride of race out of which racial
prejudices arise, thereby causing some to become racists.
Our Lord was born to a Jewish mother. The
Jews considered themselves to be people of high caste
whereas the Samaritans were considered a people of low caste. A Jew would
refuse to drink water from the hand of a Samaritan. When the Jews once
mockingly called Jesus, a Samaritan, He was silent about it (Jn.8:48).
Racial prejudice is linked to language, colour of skin, tribe, culture or

country. Presently, wars are being waged in many countries and thousands are
being killed because of racial prejudice. There is hardly any peace in any country
because of the animosity and tension caused by racial pride. Sad to say, even
many Christians are divided on the basis of language and caste. God’s plan is to
unite people: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa.56:7
NIV).
Whether it is a linguistic spirit, racial spirit or tribal spirit, it is a terrible

demon that is waiting to divide and destroy human beings spiritually, physically,
mentally, emotionally and in every way possible. We need to discern these foul
spirits and drive them out in the name of Jesus so that we can be united at the
foot of the cross.
Dear child of God, do you have racial or colour prejudice? If God has not
punished us yet, it is only the mercy of God. God made man out of the dust and
to dust shall man return. What right has the ‘dust’ to have any language, colour
or caste difference? God remembers that we are ‘dust’ (Psa.103:14), but do we
remember that?
14. Jesus had no pride of speech
Some have a feeling that they can speak better than others. Jesus did not
have this type of pride. “I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent
Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak”
(Jn.12:49).
Some are talented and eloquent speakers. But the more gifted we are, the
more humble we should be, giving all the glory to God; or else we can get
trapped in the ‘preacher’s pride’. Some have a special grace or ability in their
voice to preach or to sing. Obviously, King Herod had a wonderful voice—“The
people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man” (Acts
12:22). But he was eaten by worms. It is sad to observe that a good number of
talented singers have destroyed their spiritual life because of pride.
When Moses was in the palace in Egypt, he was mighty in words (Acts
7:22). Another translation says, “He became a powerful speaker.” How strange it
is that God could not use him when he was an eloquent speaker! After being in
the wilderness and tending sheep for forty years, he lost his eloquence and
became a stammerer. It was only after he lost his powerful speech that God sent
him to speak to Pharaoh with a fiery message from heaven: “Let My people go
that they may serve Me.” Can you imagine what would have happened if God
had sent Moses to Pharaoh when he was a powerful speaker? He would have
used his wisdom and given a long speech before Pharaoh about the evils of
slavery and glories of freedom. That would not have moved Pharaoh a bit. But
Moses now, being a stammerer, could only speak those few words the Lord gave
him. “Let My people go that they may serve Me.” These words finally served to
fulfil God’s purpose.
Dear child of God, perhaps you are gifted with a beautiful voice to sing or
speak. Please remember that you need to cry to God for great humility, or else
your gift can be your spiritual graveyard.
15. Jesus had no pride of strength or self-confidence
“He was crucified through weakness” (II Cor.13:4). When we empty

ourselves of our self-confidence or pride in our strength, then we can say with
St.Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).
The pride in our strength (or over-confidence in our own strength, whether
spiritual or physical) can deceive us and disappoint us at the end of our life. In
the end, we will realize that we could not finish the work entrusted to us by God.
It is a proven fact that people with pride of strength can never fulfil the plan of
God in their lives.
One major drawback in the beginning of St. Peter’s life was his over-
confidence. This pride caused him a lot of trouble. Look at Peter’s over-confident
statement: “Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death”
(Lk.22:33). Immediately the Lord tried to correct his words, but Peter would not
accept it. He was still confident of himself. There is a saying, “Those who boast
that they are willing to shed their last drop of blood for Christ, change their mind
as soon as it comes to the first drop.” In contrast, look at the prayer of the
psalmist: “Make me to go” (Psa.119:35). We too can easily make the mistake
Peter made. When he told the Lord, “I am ready to go”, he was not telling a lie.
He really wanted to go and die for Jesus. What was his problem then? Peter mistook
his desire to follow Jesus for ability to follow Jesus. Ability and desire are not the same. We
should never take our desire to follow Jesus or do something for Him to be our
ability to do it. Our ability comes from God. The deeper our desire to follow Him,
the greater our humility should be to seek His strength to accom- plish our
desire. It took some time for God to break Peter’s self-confidence. He denied the
Lord thrice, lied to the maid repeatedly and even started cursing and swearing.
Then he realized his folly and wept bitterly. Thank God, he finally became a
sanctified vessel meet for the Master’s use. St.Paul says, “We are not saying that
we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do”
(II Cor.3:5 NCV).
God wants to use us mightily, but very often we ourselves are the
hindrance. Our self-confidence and trust in our own strength prevent God’s great
plan from getting fulfilled in our lives. Shall we humble ourselves and empty
ourselves of our strength and over-confidence? Instead of saying, “I am ready to
go,” let us pray, “Make me to go.”
16. Jesus had no pride of authority and power
Jesus had all power on earth and in heaven. He also had power over death
and hell. Yet, with all His power and authority, Jesus had a humble spirit: “I can of
Mine own self do nothing” (Jn.5:30). We are living in a power-crazy world. All over
the world, there are wars and bloodshed all because a group of people want
worldly power and authority. It is truly sad that there are churches also where
the leaders fight and quarrel for power and position. Towards the end of His
ministry on earth, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and established His
teaching, “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all”
(Mk.10:44).
The whole world is so corrupt that almost everyone is seeking some sort of
earthly power. The devil wants to give such power to people so that they may
worship him. In Revelation Chapter 13, we see the word ‘power’ mentioned eight
times. Each mention is of a negative power given by the beast or Satan to fulfil
their heinous purposes. Most political leaders and religious leaders are power-
crazy. There is a saying, ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely’. There are some noble leaders who left their power and position to
others and thus set a good example for others.
“But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for
behold I am going to bring disaster on all flesh, declares the Lord” (Jer.45:5 NASB).
Dear child of God, perhaps God has kept you in a good position in your work-
place or in the social or spiritual realm. Never misuse or abuse God-given
authority and power; rather, be humble and use your power or position to show
forth the gentle and humble character of Christ. Remember, when you die, your
power and authority will not go with you; only your character will.
17. Our Master had no pride of independence
Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself,
but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also
doeth the Son likewise”; “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father
Which hath sent Me” (Jn.5:19,30). Our Lord, being co-equal with the Father, did
not speak or do anything independently.
These days, churches are springing up every- where. Quite often, it is not
because of wonderful revelations or a burden for souls, but because of an
independent spirit. People want to do their own will with no one to hinder them.
When such church leaders die, sometimes their churches also die with them.
When Jesus sent out His disciples to minister, He always sent them two by two
and never alone. Even to fetch the donkey, He sent two disciples (Lk.19:29,30).
In God’s six-day creation, when it came to the creation of man, there was a
consultation among the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—to eliminate any
form of independence. “Let Us make man” (Gen.1:26), they said. When Eve
failed to consult Adam, sin entered the universe. How often independent
ministers and evan- gelists make a mockery of true Christianity! May the Lord
help us do nothing with the pride of independence.
Jesus had no pride about anything whatsoever. While on earth, His life did
not appear a grand success. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He
was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isa.53:3). His ministry did not appear
successful either. He was forsaken by all, including His own dis-ciples. He had
absolutely no pride about success in life or ministry. Finally, even His death was
humiliating; He died as if He were the worst criminal. He had a humble birth and
a humble death. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example [of humility],
that ye should follow His steps” (I Pet.2:21).
May every fibre of our being seek Christlike humility so that even after our
departure from this world, the fragrance of Christlike humility may inspire
millions to follow our Lord.
CHAPTER 6
FIVE ASPECTS OF THE
HUMILITY OF CHRIST
“But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a
man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross” (Phil.2:7,8).
1. ‘MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION’
It is human nature to crave for name, fame, honour, popularity etc.
However, divine nature is to give up name, fame, etc. ‘Made Himself of no
reputation’ is translated as “stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful
dignity]” in the Amplified Bible. Man has yet to learn this: Those who try to make
a name for themselves finally get a bad name! This truth is clearly portrayed in
the story of the tower of Babel. “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a
tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name”
(Gen.11:4). But what a bad name they finally got! And even now, after many
thousands of years, their bad name is well-published. Those who seek a great
name have not learnt this. How true is the saying, ‘One thing we have not learnt
from history, is history’!
Many children of God are yet to know about a group of unclean spirits whose
work is to make people well known or popular. Let us go to the Word of God: “Unclean spirits,
when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of
God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known”
(Mk.3:11,12).
Dear child of God, do you realise that if you are seeking name, fame, popularity or
reputation in this world, you are being driven by unclean spirits? Repent before it is too late.
Television ministry, radio ministry, etc, may make you popular; but do you know
the price you may have to pay? You may be bound by unclean spirits.
“To Him which…slew famous kings, for His mercy endureth forever”
(Psa.136:17,18). Here the ‘kings’ signify ‘ruling spirits’ or the spirits dominating
our heart to make us famous. When we kill these ruling spirits, God’s enduring
mercy will be upon us forever. Hallelujah! “For this Melchisedec, King of Salem,
Priest of the Most High God, Who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of
the kings, and blessed him” (Heb.7:1). Like Abraham, if we kill all these kings (ie.
desires to become great, famous, etc.), then the Holy Spirit (Melchisedec) will
come and bless us.
A man may be willing to give up everything, but not his good name. Jesus
gave up all, even His name. When He gave up His name, He finally got a name
above all names. God may allow our name to be spoilt. Be of good cheer—if you
overcome this trial, God will give you a new name. “To him that overcometh will I
give…a new name” (Rev.2:17). Let us overcome the temptation to become
famous and let us desire to be hidden saints, dwelling in the secret place of the
Most High. In fact, this is the first step of true humility. How can we go into
further steps of humility, if we do not cross the first one, the craving to become
reputed?
A saint once said, “Reputation is what people think about us; character is
what God sees in our heart.” Let us make ourselves of no reputation as our Lord
did.
2. ‘TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT (BONDSERVANT OR
SLAVE)’
An ordinary servant has some rights—the right to stop working at a
scheduled time, the right to wages, etc. However, a bondservant has absolutely
no rights— no wages, no fixed time of work and no right to complain or murmur.
He has nothing of his own. Everything is given by the master and the master has
the right to take them away from him at any time, without giving any reason. A
slave always serves others and never thinks of others serving him. It is the work
of a slave to wash the master’s feet. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, many
of whom were fishermen. Imagine the God of the whole universe leaving all the
glory of heaven and coming down to earth to become a slave or bondservant!
What humility!
A slave has no thought or desire for promotion. If we want to have Christlike
humility, we must be willing to have the spirit of a bondservant. If we seek
earthly greatness or promotion, we become bramble or thorns. There is one
interesting, enlightening story in the Bible to show how seeking earthly
greatness can make us like useless thorns: “The trees went forth on a time to
anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me
they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? [If we seek
earthly promotions or honour, we may lose our fatness or usefulness]. And the
trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto
them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted
over the trees? [If we seek earthly promotion, we may lose our sweetness and
good fruit—the fruit of the Spirit]. Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou,
and reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which
cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? [If we seek
earthly promotion, we may lose the experience of pleasing God and encouraging
and cheering man]. Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and
reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king
over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come
out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” (Judg.9:8-15). A thorny
bush gives no shade although it invites others to ‘put their trust in its shadow’. It
has no fruits, flowers or leaves either. This parable shows that those who seek
honour and position are no better than bramble.
Christlike humility is, ‘taking the form of a servant’— always willing to be a
servant (of servants) to others. Holy angels are called ‘ministering spirits’ or
servants (Heb.1:14). But fallen angels demand worship and honour (The devil
asked even Jesus to worship him). Dear child of God, are you a ‘holy angel’
(always seeking to serve others) or a fallen angel (always expecting or
demanding honour and glory and service from others)? Are you a fruit tree or a
bramble?
May God help us to be slaves for Christ, always having a spirit of service.
3. ‘WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN’
The Almighty God limited Himself to be a crea- ture; He limited Himself to a
woman’s womb, and was obedient and submissive as a child to earthly parents.
From the age of twelve to the age of thirty (when He started His earthly
ministry), there is no mention of Jesus at all. Apparently, He lived an ordinary life,
like every other human being. He experienced hunger, thirst, pain and weariness
like any of us.
“Took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men.” He became first a servant and then a man, ie. unless we become servants,
we cannot be a man in the true sense. Man was made out of dust. Dust is
something very insignificant and small, and is of no value at all. Jesus became a
man or ‘dust’ for us—He became small and insignificant.
Man’s beginning is dust and so is his end. Though we may rule as kings on
this earth, God still remembers that we are dust (Psa.103:14). The question is, do
we remember that we are dust and that we will go back to dust?
God never forgets ‘dust’; He remembers ‘dust’. If at any time we think that
God has forgotten us, the fact could be that we are no more ‘dust’, that we
imagine that we are ‘diamonds’. God favours ‘dust’ and the final destination of
‘dust’ is Zion—see Psalm 102:13,14. Isn’t it amazing? “He raiseth the poor out of
the dust” (Psa. 113:7). ‘He raiseth’ means, ‘He is continuously raising’. If our life
has to be changed, we need a revelation about ‘dust’. When we forget that we
are dust, we get into many problems and may go out of the will of God.
“I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth
Thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5,6). True
repen- tance is possible only when we humble ourselves to dust. Like Job, when
we have a clear vision of our God, even if we are the saintliest person in the
world, we will realize that we need to repent ‘in dust and ashes’. When we learn
to humble ourselves as dust, we will always have a broken and contrite spirit, a
spiritual experience which makes us accepted of the Lord (Psa.51:17).
If our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, left all the glory
in heaven and came down to become a man or ‘dust’ in order to redeem us, how
much more we must humble ourselves!
4. ‘BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH’
There is a world of difference between Christ’s obedience and our
obedience. By our obedience to God we receive glory, honour, blessings, healing,
etc. Jesus, by His obedience, left all His glory and honour and finally lost His good
name when He gave His life on the cross. Therefore, in one sense, even our best
obedience with the purest motive, has selfishness in it; for, we know that our
obedience is going to result in great blessings and glory.
“Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He
suffered” (Heb.5:8). This may sound as if Jesus learned obedience by suffering
after coming to the earth. In heaven Jesus definitely obeyed the Father, but His
obedience in heaven did not entail suffering. The commands given in heaven were, “Son,
sit on the throne; reign over all the angels and principalities; receive worship and
adoration from all the holy angels, etc.” Obedience to these commands did not
give Jesus any suffering; it only added to His glory and honour. However, His
obedience to the Father in coming to the earth and dying for sinful humanity,
brought Him so much suffering and shame.
Note the phrase, ‘obedient unto death’ and not, ‘obedient until death’. A
servant or slave may obey his master until death, but inside, he may be
murmuring, complaining and wishing to get out of the master’s ‘iron fists’. We
must obey unto death. When we willingly and joyfully obey our Master, we will do
it even if we have to die for it. Moreover in our case it brings death to our old man or old
nature. We may obey until death with rebellion and unhappiness inside. We may
obey physically but our mind may resist and be irritated. We may obey without
delighting in obeying. That will never change our character or bring death to our
old nature. “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward” (I Cor.9:17). When we
do the will of God willingly, our self-will and pride are given a death blow and we
have the fruit, Christlike humility and the reward is Christ—New Jeru- salem or
Zion, the most beautiful place in eternity.
What is the main difference between Christ’s trials and our trials? Most of
our trials are meant to make us humble. “And thou shalt remember all the way
which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee”
(Deut.8:2). But the trials of Christ were to prove or show us His beautiful
character of humility. However, thank God, we too can come to Christlike humi-
lity, ie. by the grace of God we can also come to that state, in which our trials
prove or show Christlike humility.
William Carey was a pioneer missionary of England to North India, over 200
years ago. He established the first Christian university in India, translated the
Bible into the local language, etc. The people of India were so taken up by his
exemplary missionary efforts that they arranged a dinner in his honour. Some
other British gentlemen were also invited. Seeing the way Mr. Carey was being
honoured, one English gentleman became very jealous and whispered to an
Indian gentleman across the dining table, “I knew William Carey in England; he
was only a shoemaker!” Overhearing this comment, Carey, gently said, “Excuse
me sir, I was not a shoemaker; I was only a cobbler!” This is Christlike humility.
When humiliated or insulted, if we react wrongly, we have failed in the school of
humility with a zero score! When we are being humiliated, if we can take it in
good spirit and be willing to humble ourselves even more without getting
offended with anyone, we will come out of our trials in flying colours and we will
also fly away to glory.
5. ‘EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS’
Christ’s death was the worst type of humiliating death any human being
can ever go through. He died as if He were the worst criminal on earth. “I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved
me, and gave Himself for me”(Gal.2:20). Crucifixion is utter humiliation. “I am
crucified with Christ”, means ‘I am humiliated with Christ.’ Many people love
Jesus, but are enemies of the cross. “For many walk, of whom I have told you
often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of
Christ: Whose end is destruction, Whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in
their shame, who mind earthly things” (Phil.3: 18,19). Do you love to be
humiliated for Christ? Without crucifixion there is no resurrection. Crucifixion is
re-jection. All Jesus’ disciples rejected Him and left Him while He hung on the
cross. Rejection is a part of humiliation. The rejected stone became the corner
stone. It is not the rejection that makes us the corner stone or the most precious
stone, but the way we react to the rejection.
Let us see how we should react to rejection. “The stone which the builders
refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is
marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa.118:22-24). We learn some very important lessons
from this text:
a) “This is the Lord’s doing”—When we are rejected by human beings, we should take
it as ‘the Lord’s doing’. If we take it as man’s doing, we will react wrongly. Take it
as from the Lord; then God will give you grace to accept it. b) “It is marvellous in
our eyes”—When we take it as from the Lord, God will do a marvellous work in
our character. c) “We will rejoice and be glad in it”—When we realize that God is
working in our character through rejections, we will be able to rejoice and be
glad in it. d) “The stone which the builders refused [rejected] is become the head
of the corner”—When we take our rejections in a Christlike spirit, it brings us
great honour. Like Jesus, Who after rejection was resurrected, and after
resurrection became the headstone of the corner, we too will be greatly
honoured. Proud people react wrongly to rejection. When King Saul was rejected
from being king of Israel he got very angry and wanted to kill David whom God
chose to be the next king. What happened to him? He lost his anointing and an
evil spirit tormented him until he met with a violent death.
Dear child of God, perhaps, like Saul, you are tormented by the spirit of
pride. “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is
humility.” (Prov.18:12) May the Lord help us to get rid of the spirit of pride before
we meet with destruction. May we be clothed with Christlike humility. The
greatest work the Almighty God can do in a human being is to impart Christlike
humility.
CHAPTER 7
THE RICH REWARDS

OF HUMILITY
Once, Pastor Paul, the founder of our Mission, had a vision. He saw seven
steps leading to Zion. On the first step he saw written, ‘Humility’. He quite
naturally expected another divine quality on the next step but, to his great
surprise, there also was found written, ‘Humility’. Then he saw that all the seven
steps had the same word, ‘Humility’. This vision completely transformed his
whole life. He became a man of humility. And that was the success of his life and
ministry. How can an ordinary man who did not have any higher education be
used by God to establish a ministry that has reached all four corners of the earth
within a short period of time? Although he died over fifty years ago, the ministry
still continues to thrive. Learn Christlike humiltiy—you will be greatly used of God; even after
your death, your usefulness will continue! However, your desire for humility should not be
for becoming a ‘mightily used man of God’—in that case, you may never get to
know what true humility is. Your desire for humility should be based on your
burning desire for Christlikeness and not usefulness.
THE HUMBLE GET TWO CROWNS
“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou
visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him
with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands”
(Heb.2:6,7).
Some very blessed truths are revealed in the above verses. Why did God
make man lower than the angels? If we understand this, we will understand why
God sometimes makes us lower or smaller than others, why God allows us to be
humiliated. Why does God allow those who are younger or junior or less qualified
than us to be more honoured and appreciated? Why does God permit us to be
reproached, mocked and insulted? If we do not understand the grand plan of God
behind it, we will feel angry, irritated and upset, and will so lose our great reward
in eternity. “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your
name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy:
for, behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Lk.6:22,23).
The reason why people get angry and bitter when someone insults or
humiliates them is because, they are not aware of their great reward in heaven.
Let us suppose you know that if someone spits on your face, you will be
immediately awarded ten million dollars. If you are a penniless man desperately
looking for some money to meet your urgent needs, what will your reaction be if
suddenly your enemy sees you and spits on your face? You will certainly rejoice
and leap for joy, for your reward is ‘great on earth’. Bubbling with joy, you will tell
everyone about how you got ten million dollars. Your whole family too will rejoice
with you and thank God for the spitting which helped you to get the ten million
dollars. Many of God’s people are earthly minded and therefore cannot rejoice
over their reward in heaven.
God allows humiliation and reproaches because He is mindful of us. “What is
man, that Thou art mindful of him...? Thou madest him a little lower than the
angels.” Often we think the opposite; we think God is not mindful of us and that
is why He is humiliating us. Does this make any sense—“God is mindful of us and
therefore humiliates us”? Yes, it certainly does make sense. God allows humi-
liations and insults because He has great rewards
reserved for us in heaven. “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou
crownedst him with glory and honour.” God humbles us to give us two crowns—the
crown of glory and the crown of honour! Blessed be His holy name! These two crowns—
the crown of glory and the crown of honour, are very special. In most cases in the
Bible, we see one reward or one crown being reserved for one divine quality or
ministry. For example, the crown of life is reserved for those who are faithful unto
death (Rev. 2:10). However, to those who are truly humble, God gives two
crowns!
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy
getting get understanding. She shall give to thine head…a crown of glory”
(Prov.4:7,9). When we seek Christlike humility, we are seeking true wisdom. Pride
corrupts our wisdom. A proud man is indeed a fool in the sight of God. The crown
of honour is, God’s honour shining as a crown through the humble saints. “Before
destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility”
(Prov.18:12).
Just as humility brings honour, pride brings curse. ‘The proud that are
cursed,’ we read (Psa.119:21). Humi- lity results in a double crown; pride, in a
double curse. The proud are accursed on earth and they will continue to be
accursed all through eternity. Humility itself is a crown just as pride itself is a
curse.
Dear child of God, do you realise that all your humiliations, reproaches and
insults are only signs of God’s love and care for you? Do you rejoice over them
and love those who insult you and reject you? Think of the great rewards you lost
in the past because your attitude towards those who gave you trouble was rather
unwholesome! If you realise that insults, reproaches, etc., make you very rich in
heaven, you will have no problem loving your enemies who are instrumental in
getting you such rewards.
HUMILITY MOVES MOUNTAINS
“Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerub- babel thou shalt become
a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto it” (Zech.4:7). There are some beautiful truths that we can
learn from this text, regarding the blessings of humility. Here we can observe the
word ‘grace’ men-tioned twice. Grace is for the humble. So, in one sense, double
grace is for those who have true Christlike humility or double humility (ie.
humility in life and humility in service). What will happen to the great mountain
or great difficulties before truly humble saints? They shall become a plain.
Dear child of God, is there a ‘great mountain’ before you? Are you worried
and troubled about the great mountain threatening your progress in life? If you
seek the humility of Christ, the mountain will disappear. The ‘headstone’
mentioned here is the ‘finishing stone’. As we embrace Christlike humility, in one
sense, God’s work in our life is finished or perfected.
“O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
Deliver me Jesus,
From the desire of being loved
From the desire of being extolled
From the desire of being honoured
From the desire of being praised
From the desire of being preferred to others
From the desire of being consulted
From the desire of being approved
From the fear of being humiliated
From the fear of being despised
From the fear of suffering
From the fear of being forgotten
From the fear of being ridiculed
From the fear of being wronged
From the fear of being suspected
And Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
That others might be loved more than I
That others may be esteemed more than I
That in the opinion of the world others may
increase and I may decrease
That others may be chosen and I set aside
That others may be praised and I unnoticed
That others may be preferred to me in everything
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become
as holy as I should.”
St.Francis of Assisi

Human Pride

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Descrição original:

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

Human Pride

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

HUMAN PRIDE

1.The Pride of the Fallen Angels

2.SOME ILL-EFFECTS OF PRIDE

SELF-PITY, DISSATISFACTION AND FINANCIAL WORRIES ARE THE BITTER FRUITS

3.The Proud have a Terrible End

4.Humility – A Beautiful Life

HUMBLE PEOPLE NEVER GET OFFENDED OR HURT

5.No Pride Whatsoever in Christ

1. THERE WAS NO PRIDE IN CHRIST’S BIRTH OR IN THE BEGINNING OF HIS

6.Five Aspects of the Humility of Christ

1. ‘MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION’

7.The Rich Rewards of Humility

THE HUMBLE GET TWO CROWNS

THE PRIDE OF THE FALLEN ANGELS

SOME ILL-EFFECTS OF PRIDE

THE PROUD HAVE A TERRIBLE END

HUMILITY—A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

1. There was no pride in Christ’s birth or in the beginning of His earthly

What is the pride of superiority? It is the attitude or imagination that we are

11. Our Lord had no pride of education

Racial prejudice is linked to language, colour of skin, tribe, culture or

Whether it is a linguistic spirit, racial spirit or tribal spirit, it is a terrible

“He was crucified through weakness” (II Cor.13:4). When we empty

THE RICH REWARDS

Você também pode gostar