Society celebrates pride, yet, it is pride that has kept people from eternal life and has also led to the perversion of the Doctrine of Christ. Pride is attached to an independent spirit that says, “I don’t need God.” In the church it says, “I will do it my way.” It has led to atheism in that people want to do their own thing without consequences. If they are to have no consequences for their lifestyle, they need to believe there is no God. Hence, they enter into the sin of unbelief, even though deep down they know they are sinners who are destitute of God, because there is a God and He is holy.
Pride has spawned religion. In truth, many may say they have surrendered to God; nevertheless, their hearts say, “I want do it my way.” On one side, there are the religious zealots who have defined holiness by their own standards. They have negated the freedom found in the Holy Spirit because they have taken on a religious spirit. Essentially, they are saying that Jesus saves, but we still have to work to be righteous, even though it is Jesus Who makes us righteous (see 2Corinthians 5:21). They produce lists of dos and don’ts, confusing it with holiness. They make regulations on how to dress and wear your hair. They decide what things to avoid while equating it to righteousness. Without thinking it through, they become prideful in their religious positions. Instead of loving people, they avoid people because they are afraid of “guilt by association.” As a result, a number of them repel people from Jesus, instead of drawing them to Him. Unfortunately, they have brought themselves into bondage by not letting the Holy Spirit be the Holy Spirit in their life and the life of others. This religious attitude tends to reject or even condemn people instead of reconciling them to God. They do this by holding people’s sins against them and despising them for their shortcomings. They forget that they were saved by grace through faith, and that God did not impute their sin against them (see Ephesians 2:8-9; 2Corinthians 5:19).
The other extreme are those who pervert grace. Essentially, they still want to live the way the world lives without going to hell. Grace has become their license to sin, instead of the ability to walk in righteousness, free from sin. Of course, some simply do not understand the purpose of grace, but others know full well its purpose and have twisted it in order to fulfill their lusts. As it is written in Jude 1:4, “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (KJV). Grace is the unmerited favor of God, which enables us to do the things of God that we cannot do in our own strength. It does not sanction or sanctify sin. Furthermore, some have gone as far as to say there is no Judgment because grace has come. Those who truly walk by faith as the result of God’s grace will not face the lake of fire; however, grace does not cover those who reject God. It is not a “get out of hell free” card. 1 John 1:5-6 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth (KJV). When it gets down to it, if a person says he is of the Light, but lives in darkness, he is considered a liar in God’s eyes. Revelation warns us, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8, KJV). In short, outside of the Kingdom of God are the liars. This is not meant to condemn people, but to warn them. Everyone’s work will be judged, Christian and non-Christian alike. Of course, those who are disciples of Jesus Christ will not face the second death, but their works will still pass before the Lord Jesus Christ. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). It hates evil (see Proverbs 8:13); therefore, it does not embrace the lust of the flesh by trying to cover it with grace.
If you want to kill religion, get rid of pride. If you want eternal life, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and call on the Name of Jesus. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (KJV).
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