Being Proud vs. Being Prideful

There is a common misunderstanding about the sin of pride. This is due to an inadequacy in the modern English language and changes that have happened with the meaning of the word pride over the centuries.

Being proud of someone because of an action that they have accomplished is not sinful. If your child wins a race or has a perfect score on their math test, you should be a proud parent. If they make wise decisions and perform good actions, you should be proud of them. We all know this, it's natural for a parent. You can apply this to yourself as well. If you have done something praiseworthy why couldn't you feel proud of yourself for that? Why would this be sinful?

Would it surprise you to know that our Heavenly Father is proud of us? Jesus tells a story of what Heaven is like in Mat 25:14-46. When in Mat 25:21, the lord says "Well done thou good and faithful servant..." can't you hear the pride that a master has in his good servant? It's as if he said I am so proud of what you've done. Imagine yourself being judged and God were to say to you "Well done thou good and faithful servant..." or if He were to say to you "I am so proud of you" what would be the difference in how you felt?

The sin of pride can better be stated in Modern English as the sin of superiority. The sin of superiority is merely feeling that you are better than someone else because of something. I'm better than my wife because I am the man and the head of my household. I'm better than Bro. so-and-so because they sin. I'm better because I have the truth when it comes to doctrine. It doesn't matter why you feel better than someone else, the fact that you do is a sin. Why is it a sin? Because you attribute the gifts of God to yourself and not to God.

Jesus says something about having to high a regard of yourself (Matt 6:27). In Job 38, the Lord takes Job down a peg and pretty much asks the question "Who do you think you are?" Prov 8:13 lumps pride and arrogance together. It is arrogance and a feeling of superiority that we need to be wary of. This is the sin of pride.

The problem is that I have heard people talk about someone whom they are proud of, say a good thing that they have done and even say that they are proud, then say that they know being proud is a sin. Is this what we are being taught pride is? If so, and I think this is the case, are we ignoring the true issue here? At least in one instance I believe so.

I've also heard some of the same people as I mentioned above state that they are part of "The Body" as if they are better than any other Christian not a part of our group. The arrogance inherent in this is awful. It is human nature for you to think that a movement you belong to is the best because you are involved in it. I believe our group is special because God has laid his hand on us, nothing more. I believe that if God moved his hand away, we would cease to have that special covering. This is one of the reasons that when I am writing I prefer not to use the term "The Body" and instead use the phrase "our group" because of the tendency of some in our group to focus on The Body instead of The Head.

Also, we use the term Babylon much too frequently and too loosely. Within it's meaning it contains an implication that the Christians we are referring to are not as good as we are. There is very little humility in this name, for even though I believe it is accurate that we have been called out of for a purpose, it was not we who did the calling out, it was God. Is arrogance rearing it's ugly head again?

I would like to apply Luke 18:10-14 to our situation: Two men went up into the church to pray; the one was from a Body church, and the other was from the church world. The Body saint stood and prayed thus with himself, God, "I thank thee, that I am not as other Christians are, organized, mired in false doctrine, carnally minded, or even as this Babylonian. I go to church four times a week, I speak in tongues so I have the Holy Ghost. And the Babylonian, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The term Babylon is used exactly twelve times in eleven scriptures in the New Testament, six times in Revelation and six times in other books. Every place other than Revelation, it is used to refer to the ancient kingdom that the children of Israel were carried away to; it is merely reference to a historical city. In Revelation it depends on your understanding of eschatology(the study of the end times) whether you see Babylon in Revelation as false religion or a natural kingdom, I've heard both taught but I don't want to get into that right here. Either way I see that Babylon as not having come to completion as of yet. I wouldn't argue with someone who wanted to say that beginnings of that Babylon are evident today but that Babylon hasn't come to fruition in it's final state.

Whether it's Biblical to use the term Babylon to refer to all of Christendom I question, but I understand that we are using it to describe false religion. Actually, I'm alright with that description, however we apply it on a personal level and that is just plain wrong. Remember
Rev 18:4 infers that even within the false religion Babylon dwell some of God's people. God calls them out of that right then and there, so I submit that instead of looking at Christians as those who have been called out and those who haven't, we should should be looking at Christians as those who have been called out already, and those who have yet to be called out. To do otherwise is to let our arrogance do harm to these people of God who are not of our group and wound our own reputation in the process. We don't make the call who is and who is not a child of God, to think otherwise is the height of arrogance, a spiritual superiority complex, or translated back in the KJV, pride.

All of God's People are God's People. It doesn't matter from which church they originate, if God claims them they are my brother and sister. What an opportunity we have to share with others something special God has put in our lives when we do this. Why wouldn't we want to do this? Isn't this pride and maybe jealousy? Do we want to hold on to our specialness so fiercely that we are willing to cut others off to hold onto it? How sad. This is what Paul addressed in 1 Cor 1:12-13, just in another form. Paul states the truth of the matter in 1 Cor 3:6 and in 1 Cor 3:9 where he tells once again who is really in control, God. God gave the increase and we are His husbandry, His building, not the product of a man or a movement, even when a man or a movement has been given a special dispensation. See, a man or a movement can never be more than a temporary thing, but Christ is from eternal to eternal. Put your trust and your focus on Jesus and take it off of a man or movement and this pride will just fall away (Matt 16:33).

Now I know that some or most of what I've said here will most likely be twisted so that it seems that I am attacking our group of people. This is categorically not true. I believe we as a group have been called out, and are a special people. I am not denouncing the body of Christ, far from it. It's the arrogance that casts aside the work of Christ in anyone not of our group that I am denouncing. To say or infer otherwise is no more than an outright falsehood. What will eventually happen to those who spread falsehoods this way is that they will become what they fear (Jer 13:24-25).

References:

Babylon in the NT: Mat 1:11, Mat1:12, Matt 1:17, Acts7:43, 1 Pet 5:13, Rev 14:8, Rev 16:19, Rev 17:5, Rev 18:2, Rev 18:10, Rev 18:21.