"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble"
James 4:6 ESV
I have been thinking allot about pride and humility as I have been preaching through the book of Philippians on Sundays. James makes a very strong and convicting statement about Gods' posture towards pride: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
When James says “God opposes the proud”, the verb here is the Greek antitassetai, which literally means 'to arrange against'. It is a military term which could be translated `to set in array as in a battle', and the picture it conjures up is vivid and terrifying. Whereas the humble, godly man has the hosts of God encamped around him, the arrogant, godless man has the God of hosts arrayed against him! James is saying nothing less than that.
But is his language too strong? Is he overstating the case? Not in the least. From God's perspective, pride seems to be the most serious sin. There is nothing God hates more than this. God righteously hates all sin, of course, but biblical evidence abounds for the conclusion that there's no sin more offensive to Him than pride.
His Word reveals that there are seven things "that the Lord hates and that are an abomination to Him” It is the proud man’s haughty eyes that head up the list (Proverbs 6:16-17). Another time God speaks out, "I hate pride and arrogance" (Proverbs 8:13). And consider the divine perspective on pride revealed in Proverbs l6:5, "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished." Stronger language for sin simply cannot be found in Scripture.
Why does God hate pride so passionately? Here's why: Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him. John Piper puts it this way: Pride is self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self- worship. Pride lifts up one's heart against God and -contends for supremacy" with Him.
Pride takes innumerable forms. John Piper has described several:
1. The self-preoccupied person. This is the person who thinks continually about himself. He might be a self-effacing person, and so look in a way humble. But inside his cocoon all he is consumed with is thoughts about himself. He may not even like himself.But he is still the center of his attention. His self-hate has no power to produce humility, it just makes his pride pathetic and miserable.That is a subtle and deadly form of pride.
2. The self-infatuated person. This person really does feel quite good about himself. He is not only occupied with himself, but likes being the center of his own attention and thinks others would probably like it as well. He may or may not be outgoing,but he finds himself entertaining or intelligent or handsome or shrewd and enjoys preening himself, even if nobody is impressed.
3. The self-exalting person. This person goes beyond self-preoccupation and self-infatuation to active efforts to display his qualities. He does care if others see and admire. He wants praise.
Notice that the key word in the description of the proud is SELF. Prideful people only have one end in mind: self-glorification. That's the motive and ultimate purpose of pride-to rob God of legitimate glory and to pursue self-glorification, contending for supremacy with Him. The proud person seeks to glorify himself and not God, thereby attempting in effect to deprive God of something only He is worthy to receive. C.S. Lewis said, “Pride is a telescope turned the wrong way. It magnifies it self and makes the heavens small.” No wonder God opposes pride. No wonder He hates pride.
How then does God resist the proud? He reveals Himself in Scripture as actively opposed to pride. "Opposes" in this statement is an active, present-tense verb, showing us that God's opposition to pride is an immediate and constant activity. James is not saying that God simply disapproves of those who are proud. He is saying that God is actively engaged against those who are proud. He does so in many ways. The Puritan Thomas Manton says, “The proud man hath his tactics, and God hath his anti-tactics.” His quaint wording is remarkably up to date in our world of missiles, -anti-missiles and anti-missile missiles! Try as he will, man's pride will never get the better of God. How does God resist proud men? The Bible gives us a number of answers to that question:
1. God resists the proud by refusing to speak. (Romans 1:22-30)
2. God resists the proud by ridiculing their schemes (Psalm 2:1-4).
3. God also resists the proud by ruining their success. (2 Chronicles 26)
4. God resists the proud by removing their status. (Daniel 5:20).
If we do not come before God in humility, God will deal with our pride in humiliation. Apart from grace, all that sinners can receive from God is humiliation. The warnings from Scripture about pride could not be more serious and sobering. And they're an expression of God's mercy intended for our good. God is merciful to warn us in this way. He's merciful in this act of revealing this sin to our hearts and in identifying its seriousness and potential consequences. He is merciful, and He intends to protect us. So throughout His Word, God exposes pride as our greatest enemy. By unmasking pride-as well now James introducing us to humility, our greatest friend-God is laying out for us the path to receive more grace.
To be continued...
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