1 00:00:00,149 --> 00:00:05,320 When I was a boy growing up in the Catholic church, the nuns and priests used to teach 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,120 us the 7 cardinal sins. 3 00:00:08,120 --> 00:00:12,509 The word cardinal means fundamental or of primary importance. 4 00:00:12,509 --> 00:00:15,080 The 7 cardinal sins were: 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:16,309 1. Pride 2. Greed 6 00:00:16,309 --> 00:00:17,960 3. Impurity 4. Envy 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,550 5. Gluttony 6. Anger 8 00:00:19,550 --> 00:00:20,750 7. Laziness 9 00:00:20,750 --> 00:00:24,660 They taught us that from these sins came all others. 10 00:00:24,660 --> 00:00:29,140 I do not know who made up this list but putting pride at the very top certainly reflects what 11 00:00:29,140 --> 00:00:32,550 the Bible teaches about human sinfulness. 12 00:00:32,550 --> 00:00:33,830 Pride is everywhere 13 00:00:33,830 --> 00:00:36,500 1. Pride in the heavens 14 00:00:36,510 --> 00:00:43,140 Jude 6 says that the angels abandoned their position and aspired to rise above God. 15 00:00:43,140 --> 00:00:44,770 Pride led to their downfall. 16 00:00:44,770 --> 00:00:47,000 2. Pride in the garden 17 00:00:47,010 --> 00:00:53,010 In Genesis 3:5 we see Satan tempting Eve with an appeal to her pride that she would become 18 00:00:53,010 --> 00:00:58,200 greater than her present status, that she would be like God if she ate the fruit. 19 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,650 Pride led to the downfall of humanity. 20 00:01:00,650 --> 00:01:05,100 3. Pride in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4-9) 21 00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:11,750 Even Jesus, while He was in the wilderness, was tempted through an appeal to be proud 22 00:01:11,750 --> 00:01:17,260 in demonstrating His power, relationship with God or sovereignty over the world. 23 00:01:17,260 --> 00:01:22,270 Had He not resisted this temptation to pride, it would have led to the downfall of the effort 24 00:01:22,270 --> 00:01:24,130 to rescue man. 25 00:01:24,130 --> 00:01:29,690 And so pride is the ultimate temptation, greater than sex or violence because it appeals to 26 00:01:29,690 --> 00:01:35,690 man's desire not for excitement or pleasure, but for a human being's desire to be great, 27 00:01:35,690 --> 00:01:37,310 ultimately to be a god. 28 00:01:37,310 --> 00:01:43,620 If we look around we can see the damage pride does in the world at large, even our own lives. 29 00:01:43,620 --> 00:01:48,120 In society, pride is the chief cause of conflict and war. 30 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:53,920 Some race or nation wants to be chief, wants to rule, wants to be first and so goes to 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,280 war to achieve this end. 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,619 Talk to marriage counselors and they will tell you that what creates trouble in families 33 00:02:00,619 --> 00:02:06,090 is not just substance abuse or adultery (these are the symptoms, not the causes). 34 00:02:06,090 --> 00:02:11,819 Either too low a value of self or too high a value of self (pride) creates the trouble 35 00:02:11,819 --> 00:02:14,180 that leads to the other sins. 36 00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:18,689 The Apostle Paul continually battled with Christians who were too proud to submit to 37 00:02:18,689 --> 00:02:20,870 his authority as an Apostle. 38 00:02:20,870 --> 00:02:25,629 The letters to Corinth are almost entirely about the sins originally generated because 39 00:02:25,629 --> 00:02:31,760 these people were too proud to obey, too proud to repent, too proud to get along with each other. 40 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:37,849 As we can see just by examining our own experience, pride is a "cardinal" sin that threatens us 41 00:02:37,849 --> 00:02:40,090 more than other forms of evil. 42 00:02:40,090 --> 00:02:41,629 How do we guard against it? 43 00:02:41,629 --> 00:02:45,560 1. Aim to be like Jesus, not to be first. 44 00:02:45,569 --> 00:02:50,830 The desire to be above others, even above God is the driving force of pride. 45 00:02:50,830 --> 00:02:55,109 We all experience this pressure; it is part of our sinful nature. 46 00:02:55,109 --> 00:03:00,780 The antidote is to strive, in all things, in every relationship to be like Jesus, rather 47 00:03:00,780 --> 00:03:03,359 than strive in every way to win. 48 00:03:03,359 --> 00:03:08,439 It is not for everyone to be leaders, this happens based on time and talent, but 49 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:13,329 the conflict created because of the desire to be first could be eliminated if we chose 50 00:03:13,329 --> 00:03:17,309 to desire to be like Jesus, not just to be first. 51 00:03:17,309 --> 00:03:22,620 The question in our minds should not be, "what must I do to rise above the other," it would 52 00:03:22,620 --> 00:03:25,730 be, "what must I do to be like Jesus." 53 00:03:25,730 --> 00:03:29,409 Ask yourself "what would Jesus do?" 54 00:03:29,409 --> 00:03:34,799 2. Realize that the real rewards go to the humble, not the proud. 55 00:03:34,799 --> 00:03:39,730 The sad thing about pride is that it is the result of Satan's deception. 56 00:03:39,730 --> 00:03:44,419 People are seduced into thinking that if they lift themselves up there will be a reward 57 00:03:44,419 --> 00:03:45,749 of some kind. 58 00:03:45,749 --> 00:03:51,689 The angels thought power would be the reward; Eve thought a special insight was the reward; 59 00:03:51,689 --> 00:03:57,980 rulers think honor and adulation; people think feeling good about themselves. 60 00:03:57,980 --> 00:04:03,090 The truth of the matter is that pride always leads to destruction of some kind. 61 00:04:03,090 --> 00:04:10,790 God tells us that humility is the quality that bring us rewards, not pride: 62 00:04:10,790 --> 00:04:14,500 Pride goes before destruction. - Proverbs 16:18 63 00:04:14,519 --> 00:04:20,699 God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. - James 4:6 64 00:04:20,700 --> 00:04:28,320 Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth - Matthew 5:5 65 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,560 The rewards of peace, honor from God, praise 66 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:37,389 from men (because people appreciate humble people not proud people), and eventually eternal 67 00:04:37,389 --> 00:04:42,710 life will go to those who humble themselves before God and others, and not those who try 68 00:04:42,710 --> 00:04:46,850 to lift themselves above others, even God. 69 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:56,020 1. Describe a time in your life when you failed. What lesson did you learn from that experience? 70 00:04:56,020 --> 00:05:03,720 2. What is the difference between pride and arrogance? What does pride do? Arrogance? 71 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:10,460 3. How does pride manifest itself in your relationship with your spouse - child - boss? 72 00:05:10,460 --> 00:05:17,820 4. In practical terms, what do you think Jesus means when He says that the humble will inherit the earth? 73 00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:25,180 5. Aside from Jesus, which person in the Bible or in real life inspires you with their humility? Why?