Spiritual Pride

This dark sin grows like mold in a wet basement. Spiritual pride is a refined sin in the hearts of mature Christians... I didn't realize how bad or deep it was in me until I read an article about the uprise of young Christians that are passionate about doctrine and god-centeredness. It was a couple years ago now, but I remember it like yesterday. The reading of the article drummed up some pretty dark stuff. I was upset that I wasn't in an exclusive club. I was angered that there was a group of people that were experiencing the same truths as I was. I was frustrated that the Kingdom of God was advancing and I wasn't at the helm. Sounds weird right? It was very weird. The things that should have brought me deep joy were actually having the reverse effect. That's when I knew it was bad.

Spiritual pride is the result of a maturing Christian turning their heart away from the grace of God and allowing their worth to be found in their spiritual performance... For some it is their exemplary behavior--they have found a way to be very very good. Their trust isn't in Christ, it is in their morality. For some it is missions--they excel in spirituality based on their unique services abroad. They find their worth in their service for God not in their relationship with Him. For some it is prayer and fasting-- feeling that they have a corner on the Christian market because of their passion for prayer and the Holy Spirit's benefits. They trust more in their experience of God than do of God himself. For some it is a passion for being doctrinally sound--biblical study has lead to deep convictions on God's truth and now there is an elitist attitude and contempt for others who "get doctrine wrong." Spiritual pride has lots of different applications in the hearts of those that love God.

I would guess, from my own experience, that this is the key strategy that Satan employs to wreck the effectiveness of ministry and the closest Satan can get to adopting a child of God. When I operate in spiritual pride I am acting like a child of the devil. I can "parade as an angel of light"--saying and doing the right things, all the while having the heart and attitude of Lucifer as my motives cry out, "I will be like God." Jonathan Edwards says of spiritual pride:

This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of religion... the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgement...the main handle by which th devil has hold of religious persons, and the chief source of all the mischief that he introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God.(Thoughts on Revival, pg. 417)

To someone who hasn't made a habit of checking their own heart, this will sound like a foreign language. Spiritual pride sounds like an oxymoron. But in God's economy, the right things for the wrong reasons, is all wrong. "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Spiritual pride is a refined and hidden sin in the heart of even the saintliest of saints.

As luring and gravitational as the pull towards pride is, God has a strong arm that is flexing salvation. God breaks the bones of pride. He is absolutely committed to the completion of His work in you and I. And, God will use all things to accomplish the humbling of us for our good. God's goal is to break off our love affair with our pride and refocus our affections on Christ. God wants to defeat our spiritual pride. He wants us to to stop trusting in our performance and trust in Christ more fully. All that we need, for all of our lives, has been accomplished on our behalf, by Christ.

The grace of Jesus is humiliating. It is like having your heart depantsed. It strips off all of the spiritual pride that you are hiding under and shows what is really going on... While at the same time, grace is encouraging. It shows you that all that you need to be right with God has already been achieved for you... perfectly.

I need grace. Humiliate me Jesus for my good and your glory.