Biblical Examples of Pride:

• Satan (questioned and denied God)  Ez. 28:12-18  - Gen. 3:1-6

• Uzziah (proud heart, acted corruptly) 2 Chronicles 26:16

• Nebuchadnezzar (proud & arrogant)  Daniel 4:30

• Belshazzar (destroyed for his pride)

• Daniel 5:22-30

• King Saul (1 Samuel 18:7-9)

• King Herod (Acts 12)

• Diotrephes (3 John 9).

• Caiaphas

When someone is proud they are focused on self which is a form of self-worship.  Pride is the opposite of humility and it is one of the most loathed sins in God’s sight.  (Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.  Proverbs 26:12).  You cannot have humility where pride exists.  Humility is the character quality that enables us to be all that Christ wants us to be. 

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1. We cannot come to God without it. 

2. We cannot love God supremely without it. 

3. We cannot be an effective witness for Christ without it. 

4. We cannot love and serve others without it. 

5. We cannot lead in a godly way without it. 

6. We cannot enjoy physical intimacy the way God intended without it. 

7. We cannot communicate properly without it. 

8. We cannot resolve conflict without it. 

9. We cannot deal with the sin of others rightly without it. 

10. We especially cannot resist sin without it. 

When we are humble, we are focused on God and others, not our self. Even our focus on others is out of a desire to love and glorify God.  As a humble person, we have no need to be recognized or approved. There is no competition with God or others. We have no need to elevate our self, knowing that we have been forgiven and that God's love has been undeservedly and irrevocably set on us. We must live out humility in order to be who God intends for us to be. 

Pride is everywhere and shows itself in many ways. As much as we may hate to admit it, we all have pride. The question is not, “Do I have it?” but, “Where is it?” and “How much of it do I have?”