Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “From Pride to Humility”. A look at what it takes to humble the prideful. Are you prideful? Am I? Are we Adventists prone to “spiritual pride” because we have been led and understand sacred truths? It could be. See the EGW quote below for a chilling look at “spiritual pride”:
“Especially should our ministers beware of indolence and pride, which are apt to grow out of a consciousness that we have the truth, and strong arguments which our opponents cannot meet; and while the truths which we handle are mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of the powers of darkness, there is danger of neglecting personal piety, purity of heart, and entire consecration to God. There is danger of their feeling that they are rich and increased with goods, while they lack the essential qualifications of Christians. They may be wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked. They do not feel the necessity of living in obedience to Christ every day and every hour. Spiritual pride eats out the vitals of religion. In order to preserve humility, it would be well to remember how we appear in the sight of a holy God, who reads every secret of the soul, and how we should appear in the sight of our fellow-men if they all knew us as well as God knows us. For this reason, to humble us, we are directed to confess our faults, and improve this opportunity to subdue our pride” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, pg. 210).
Oh my! We are more wretched than we thought! We may be more like Nebuchadnezzar than we ever knew! But praise God. He will not leave us in this deadly condition. Just as He did not leave that Monarch in that condition. He will do what it takes to bring us to our senses, just as He did the ruler of the “golden” empire. Our Babylonian heart can be subdued. It is not too late. And God will do it the same way He did Nebuchadnezzar. He will remove His protecting hand and allow us to be what we are… or at least see what we are. Nebuchadnezzar had to experience the bestiality He was for seven years. Think of it! “Pride” is seen by heaven as “bestiality”! Without God’s protecting hand, Nebuchadnezzar experienced externally what he really was internally. So unlike the way we sinful creatures see pride… and ourselves. And God will not do less for us. He will do whatever it takes to help us experience our true selves… or at least see our true selves. To learn and know the truth. Let us willingly place ourselves in the hand of our loving God. Who will not stop disciplining us until we are every whit clean.
In closing, here is that famous “Steps to Christ” quote from EGW:
“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” (Steps to Christ pg. 30).
May our heart ever be open to the searching eyes of our God.
With brotherly love,
Jim