Sign#17 Pride & Selfishness
Key
Text
"Pride
goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 |
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"This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness
of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters,
neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."
Ezekiel 16:49.
God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are
degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man;
but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the
eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment
is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they
really are. The drunkard is despised, and is told that his sin
will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and
covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that
are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the
benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is
the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into
some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty
and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need,
and so it closes the heart against Christ, and the infinite
blessings He came to give.
If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better.
How many there are who think they are not good enough to come
to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts?
There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger
persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers.
We can do nothing for ourselves. We must come to Christ just
as we are.
Yield yourself to Christ without delay; He alone, by the power
of His grace, can redeem you from ruin. He alone can bring your
moral and mental powers into a state of health. Your heart may
be warm with the love of God; your understanding, clear and
mature; your conscience, illuminated, quick, and pure; your
will, upright and sanctified, subject to the control of the
Spirit of God. You can make yourself what you choose. If you
will now face rightabout, cease to do evil and learn to do well,
then you will be happy indeed; you will be successful in the
battles of life, and rise to glory and honor in the better life
than this.
"Say unto them, As I live, saith
the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked;
but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn
ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
Ezekiel 33:11 Back |
