Beware spiritual pride...

Chapter Sixty-three:

Unfortunately it has become commonplace to hear of someone whom we have  looked up to and admired to be found living a life that goes against what he/she has promoted in public. And if that person is someone who says they walk with God and by all appearances have been doing just that, it stuns us, surprises us, and shakes us at our very roots.  We are not surprised when it is a Hollywood figure or a politician who is shown for not being who they have pretended to be, but when it is someone within the Church, it causes much heartache within the Body of Christ.  And we wonder, how could it have happened?

The reason it happens is because somewhere along the way that person has given in to the sin of spiritual pride. Spiritual pride does not happen overnight, but usually happens slowly and subtly.  It can easily be a stumbling block for the most devout believer. Those of us who are eager for the advancement of Christ and His kingdom need to be on guard as our pride can be a door by which the devil plays on our zeal and enthusiasm to grow deeper in our walk with God. Pride will always try to find a way to cause our downfall.

Those who are spiritually proud often feel they have found a better way to follow God  or have  become more concerned about receiving favor from man rather than God.  While eager to talk and share their spirituality, you will find they do not like being challenged or questioned about their beliefs.  Their pride will cause them to be defensive, touchy, difficult to talk with, and will see any real questioning about their beliefs or ideas as coming from the "uninformed".  He/she will openly promote their beliefs, but do not dare to try to have a debate with them about why they believe the way they do. They will use deflection and accusation against you rather than have an open discussion. The spiritually proud person believes he/she cannot be misled, so they are closed to questions about the path that they follow. Feeling that no correction is necessary in their thinking, they ignore all warning signs that God is sending them.

The person who is spiritually proud and does not listen to other's concerns will cause themselves to develop a hardened heart. Often we think of someone with a hardened heart as being an atheist, an agnostic or someone who has purposefully turned their back on God.  However, I believe it is also possible for a follower of Christ to develop a hardened heart.  He/she has lost their teachable spirit and believe they already have all the answers and are no longer humble and open to correction, thereby allowing their heart to become hardened. Remember, no matter how long we have been disciples, followers of Christ, we must never give up having a teachable spirit so that we remain open to being taught, and if need be, corrected. Proverbs 26:12 strongly cautions us against feeling like we have all the answers, "Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them."

On the other hand, the humble person is like a child who easily receives instruction. He is cautious in his estimate of himself, sensitive as to how easy it is to go astray. If it is suggested to him that he is going astray, he is most eager to check into the matter. He who humbly, yet firmly, stands for what he believes will have no issue with being questioned. He/she will gladly discuss what they believe to be the truth because truth does not have anything to hide, nor anything of which to be afraid. Truth will stand up to all scrutiny because in the end it will be shown for what it is, the correct and only way.

I propose that any person's faith that cannot be challenged, debated or critiqued is on very shaky ground. Those who are sure in their beliefs are willing to quietly listen to others and have an amiable, open discussion about the topic at hand. If you truly believe you are following the truth then you should feel confident when questioned or challenged. Psalm 25:9 assures us that "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

One of the things that seems to be so prevalent these days is the way many Christians easily dismiss a word of caution or the need to be discerning in what is presented to them, whether by book, by TV show and especially at their local church.  Many of us tend to go to Church and think that since we are physically "out of the world" and in what we consider a safe place, we can now let our guard down.
 

 As  A. W. Tozer warned, "There is something about a religious gathering, and particularly about a church building, that produces in the worshiper a state of pleasant languor and suspends his critical faculties for the duration of the service. The average Christian goes to church expecting to hear certain words and phrases and the average preacher knows what they are. It does not matter too much in what order they occur, and if they should be spoken with a considerable degree of enthusiasm, so much the better; only let them be familiar and harmless. Nothing more is required or expected." 

If what we hear sounds good and makes us feel good for the rest of the day, then we feel we have heard a good message.  But do you ever pray before hearing a teaching or sermon?  There is absolutely nothing wrong with praying for discernment and guidance from God and the Holy Spirit before going to Church to make sure that what you are hearing and being exposed to is correct and to be followed.  Ephesians 5:6 warns us, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them."  Remember, those who will try to lead you astray will always try to introduce something between you and Christ, and the simplicity of the Gospel is lost.

John 8:31b-32 says, "...If you continue in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."  Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the meaning of  the word continue as  "to do something without stopping ; to keep doing something in the same way as before; to maintain without interruption a condition, course, or action."  In these current times, when many are calling evil good and good evil, it will be those who do not walk away from the fact that the Bible is the true inspired Word of God that will end up being truly free.  It will be those who "continue in my word" who will be the ones who are truly His disciples.

 

None of us are immune to spiritual pride, that is why we have to stay close to God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We must not ever think for one moment that we could never be mistaken or misled.  That very thought itself will be our downfall, for it is pride working within us. We must stay open to God's warnings because if we think we are already spiritual enough or are so close to God that there is no possibility of our being deceived, then the seed of pride is already planted in our hearts, just waiting for its time to take root and reap the harvest of deception.  As Proverbs 16:18 warns us, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall".  It will be those who retain a humble, teachable spirit and continue in the Word who will protect themselves against becoming spiritually prideful. 

Jesus, our only Intercessor...

Chapter Sixty-two:

Not only is Jesus our High Priest as He sits at the right hand of the Father, but He is also our intercessor. When Jesus intercedes for us, He is praying on our behalf, as an intercessor is one who prays for another.  Jesus is continually talking to the Father on our behalf.  He is our great defender.  No matter how bad things may seem, we can have the assurance that Jesus is interceding for us.

 Hebrews 7:25 tells us, "Therefore he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." While He was here on earth in the form of a man, reclaiming what was rightfully His, He often went away by Himself to pray for His disciples.  He knew they would need God's strength to share the Gospel message after He ascended to Heaven as they would face persecution .

There are several reasons Jesus intercedes for us before the Father:

 He intercedes for unity within the Body of Christ. He prays for unity among His true disciples (John 17:21).  This unity is not as the world or some churches are currently promoting as they ask that we put aside crucial doctrinal differences (ie, Jesus is the only way to the Father, there is inherent sin in the heart of man, the Second coming of Christ) in order to come together as one and usher in a new era of peace on earth. Jesus knows that there will be discord in the world until He returns the second time, so He is praying that we will be encouraged, that we will help one another and we will stand together as His brothers and sisters. 


He intercedes for us when we are tempted. As long as we are in this world, we will be tempted. Jesus knows we deal with temptation and knows the struggles it causes within His followers.  Scripture tells us that while He lived here He "was in all points tempted like we are, yet was without sin." (Hebrews 4:15). 

He intercedes for us when we have sinned.  First John 2:1 tells us "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." It is because of what Jesus has done for us that God forgives us of our sins. First John 2:12 says, "...because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name." Not only do we receive forgiveness  and cleansing for sin when we confess and repent, but because of the blood of Christ we are restored into right fellowship with God (First John 1:9).

He intercedes for our protection against the enemy.  John 17:15 says, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."  Satan and his minions will do whatever they can to cause us to sin,  lose hope or become deceived by erroneous teachings so that we will live a life that is displeasing to the Father.  

He intercedes for us to become more like Him and to have less of the world in us (John 17:17). He knows how difficult it is for us to live in this world and that we have to fight against our flesh.  Jesus' ultimate desire is that we become more like Him every day.

He intercedes for those who would hear the gospel so that they will also become His disciples. John 17:20 says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." He earnestly desires that all should come to the Father and He prays that we will be able to spread the Gospel so that as many as possible shall be saved.

Remember, Jesus is our only intercessor before God.  No one else can have that role...not Mary, the mother of Jesus, and not anyone who has been declared by man to be a Saint.  Christ is the only one that has the authority to intercede for us. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (First Timothy 2:5).   

Jesus prays for us continually.  He does not ignore us or turn away from us when we need help, but eagerly waits for us to turn to Him for help.  When we fall, He does not condemn us but instead He gently convicts us so that our relationship with Him and the Father will be restored.  When we are weak, He offers us His strength.  When we do not know what to say, we simply have to ask. When we struggle with temptation all we need to do is go to Him and ask Him for strength.  Jesus, our intercessor,  is the one who can give us hope and victory. 

Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that we can boldly approach the throne of grace knowing that Jesus is praying for us so that we can victoriously run this race that is set before us..."Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."