Sin, The Struggle & the Solution: The Sin Of Pride

10/27/2019

Sin is a distortion and dislocation of our affection, which should be placed on God, but sin is when we put this on something else.

In light of this, how would you define pride?

Read the account of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Pastor Jeremy asked, could we possibly be as troubled as the king from this story? Daniel 4:19-27

From our perspective, it’s easy to see what the king was prideful about, and what he should do to avoid disaster, it’s right there in verse 27.

But what about us? How do you read yourself into this account of the fall caused by pride? Pastor Jeremy noted that we really are the product of our environment, genetics, circumstances, etc. That we didn’t choose any of these things, and can do very little to affect our own origin story. So is there an area where you feel you have enough control in your life to claim a position, victory, program, advantage, donation, relationship, etc. as the product of your personal exertion?

Read the next part of the story, verses 28-33
Was this fair? Did the king deserve this level of severity? Why do you think God chose to deal with Nebuchadnezzar like this? Do you think God would be justified in allowing you to walk this same course?

These are the two ugly sides of pride.
The one side says that we deserve what good we have, that it is us who has earned it.
The other side produces a victim mentality. That we don’t deserve the suffering we have, that we have earned only good things and that suffering is unjust.
Which side of pride do you find yourself most naturally and regularly feeling?

Now take some time to share the gospel with each other. The gospel is the one and only true antidote to pride. Our Sunday school walk through the TULIP acronym of Reformed theology is incredibly helpful to us in combating the sin of pride.
We are born Totally depraved. Deserving no good thing and capable of no good thing.
God Unconditionally elected us because of his free choice. There was nothing that we did do, will do, or can do to incline him toward ourselves. Therefore, there is nothing we can boast in. Remember, if we have free will and we chose God, then we can boast in that. The root of boasting is pride. This is why Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-10, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

How does this pride crushing good news deepen your love of God (heart, soul, strength, and mind) and your love of your neighbours?