I want to remind you that “his voice” is often a memory of a verse, or a time of closeness, perhaps when you first “heard” the call to repentance…
Prayer:
We are continuing our little series about inviting God to remove strongholds of thinking and acting in ways contrary to His revealed nature and plan/purpose for us. Actually they are bad roots which hurt us and others and do not honor God.
So far we have discussed:
Father,
Forgive me for the ways I have allowed evil roots to have a place in my heart and mind.
You are the Gardener of my heart. You search me and know my every thought.
Please shine the light of your glory so that anything that is not of you can be uprooted and removed.
Remove all roots of prejudice (favoritism, discrimination, tribalism, tradition).
And replace them with fear of God, Godly wisdom and the ministry of reconciliation.
Remove the root of walking in the flesh (carnality, divisions, envy, jealousy, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness).
And replace it with walking in the Spirit and being rooted in love and filled with all the fullness of God.
Remove the root of soulish talk, criticism, and curses And replace them with speaking blessings and cultivating restoration.
Remove the root of bondage (control, greed, exploitation, oppression).And replace them with Christ’s humility and having no other gods before You.
Tonight we will ponder asking God to teach us about Pride.
Remove the root of pride
James 4:6, 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Dodi Note: We all want grace. We can in many ways expect grace because it is part of Who God is. In many places we are told that God is SLOW to anger but ABOUNDING in grace. (Nehemiah 9:31; Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 86:15; Joel 2:13)
However, God is also holy. He is jealous over his children.
And it can be difficult to admit we are proud, we do try to solve things our own way instead of bringing ourselves and all that concerns us to the Throne of Grace, where we always find help in time of need.
There is a kind of weird paradox. Never admitting we have need is one side of pride. But taking on “needy victim” and constantly only talking about what we need/want/expect is also a form of pride.
Pride is anything that sets itself above God as Lord and Savior. So self-sufficiency of either sort is or can be a form of pride.
So can insisting on our own way.
Proverbs 8:13, The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
Dodi Note: This is strong language. The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Most of the time, when “hate” is used it can also mean “prefer less”. If we look around us, we do not have to look far to see people, maybe even close friends or family, preferring what God clearly says is evil.
But right up there, in the same passage we see pride, arrogance, and perverted speech.
Something we can all fall into.
Proverbs 11:2, When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Dodi Note: Another strong word/warning about pride and the opposite blessing. Pride leads to disgrace. Notice what that word really says..dis-grace. Lack of grace. God’s grace.
But the flip side is wisdom.
Could it be that wisdom (from God) is in a sense the opposite of pride?
I love the next one: Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
In the version I remember it says pride goeth before a fall….
Pride can surely be like a snare. It separates us from others and it can also be like an idol taking the place that God alone deserves.
Now we are ready for the more fun to-do part.
Sylvia said, “Remove the root of pride
And replace it with a heart of repentance and humility.”
What is humility? There is a false humility which is really pride in action.
Jesus was the example of true humility.
Philippians 2:1-8, Christ's Example of Humility
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Dodi Note: What a role model! Jesus who was fully God, One with God, came to earth as a human baby…in order that we might be born again, forgiven and set free.
And we know he was a servant-leader. He healed, He washed feet, He owned nothing…although in truth he owned everything. And then…for the JOY set before Him, he endured death on the cross.
There is a whole study, which I highly recommend called The Mind of Christ.
It is a 12 week study.
2 Corinthians 7:9-10, 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Dodi Note: Notice…sometimes we will need to be humbled…to literally grieve over our own sin..and God allows, even invites that….perhaps arranges or surely uses, difficult circumstances so that we will come to repentance.
Notice…there is, or must be a true grief and repentance if it refers to “godly grief”.
Often people seem to repent, they may even cry and be sorry for what they did to us, but they are not REALLY heart sorry for hurting others. They are really sorry they got caught, or people are mad at them.
Have you ever experienced that? In either direction?
Often abusive or controlling people in a relationship will seem truly sorry…but then soon after they go right back to their prideful wicked ways.
That is NOT godly repentance. Verse 10 says For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Repentance is a 180 degree turn around. To begin doing the exact opposite of what we were doing.
The next verse is appropriate for us personally and to pray for our countries and leaders.
2 Chr. 7:14, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Dodi Note: Notice the if….then clause.
If my people, who are called by my name (Christians) will HUMBLE themselves and PRAY and SEEK God’s way and TURN from their wicked (prideful, self serving) ways, THEN God says…and only then I think…He will HEAR and FORGIVE and HEAL their land. (Literal land or land of their hearts)
And you know what? We won’t have to wonder. Look what God says in Revelation 3:19, 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
Dodi Note: Didn't we see this a week or so ago in a different place?
Hebrews 12 5b-6 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Want a reminder in context? Hebrews 12:4-11 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Enough said…good review.
In the next passage Jeremiah, a prophet speaking for God says: Jer. 13:17 But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears,
because the Lord's flock has been taken captive.
Wow…isn’t that so sad? Sometimes in prayer ministry we run into someone who simply cannot see their own sin issues/choices. They are so angry and bitter…and it is very very very sad.