Pride

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil;
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and the perverted speech I hate.

-Proverbs 8:13

The biblical sin of pride refers to man’s excessive preoccupation with self which is the direct opposite of humility, a trait we should be seeking after. Pride is viewed as a great sin because it means we’re looking for excellence and glory that only belongs to God. Pride is deceptive and leads to conflicts as it says in Proverbs 13:10, “When there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found with those who take advice.” The greatest danger with pride is that it keeps our eyes on ourselves instead of God, leading to spiritual blindness.

There are many examples of pride in the Bible such as the Pharisees as we read in Matthew 23:6-8, 12: “They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.” “For those who are exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Pride not only causes the ruin of individuals but also of nations, like when Israel became proud and forgot about God. It was ultimately the sin of pride that kept the people of Israel and Judah from entering the promised land (Ezekiel 16:50).

People who love God and godliness reject pride as it says in Proverbs 8:13 “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” Everything we have, we have received from God so we should not act as if we have accomplished anything on our own. We must instead strive to be humble by learning the truth through Scripture.