I strive to make choices for good, to live with excellence.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  As a person committed to Christ, I am called to self-denial, to the discipline of living a moral life. I desire to live honorably with all my heart. The downside is that I am tempted to congratulate myself on my ‘successes’ and to turn a blind eye to those gaps in my life, those places yet to be conquered by Christ, the King. Yes, tragically, I must confess that I drift into thinking “why can’t he be more like me?” on occasion because there is a Pharisee that lives in me. Remember that man who prayed so arrogantly, “Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.” (Luke 18:11-12, The Message) I know him! The second that I take my focus from Christ and His righteousness, I am prone to the corruption of pride. When self-discipline substitutes for surrender to the Spirit, a stench of Self that overwhelms the fragrance of Jesus Christ in me. The beauty of His holiness is obscured by an ugly religious spirit.

Pride is the devil’s favorite temptation for those who live a holy life. It is rather like the man who humbles himself and then takes note of his humility; losing it in that moment.  Some compound their sin by attempting to defeat their prideful sin with self-reproach. “I’m so worthless. I’m such a terrible person.” they say, but it’s only a fig-leaf that covers the pride. Such statements do nothing to change the underlying sin.  “Don’t look at me,” can really mean, “Please take note of me, but don’t congratulate me. Just quietly admire all my spiritual accomplishments!” There is but one way to put to such ugly sin to death – deep, heart-felt worship of the One who saves us. So-called ‘worm theology’ won’t do it. That phrase is borrowed from the Isaac Watts hymn, “At the Cross,” that includes this line, “would He devote that Sacred Head, for such a worm as I?” It is possible to be a very proud worm!

We must kneel, literally, for that posture is a way to pray even with our body and confess that Jesus is Lord, Master, and Savior. Even that should be done, Jesus said, in a secret place seen only by the Father! Contemplating His majesty, waiting silently before Him, giving thanks from a worshipful heart brings us to the realization that His grace is amazing. Such contemplative prayer is like a mirror and when it reveals the Pharisee in me, I weep in shame. Meditation on the truth of the Scripture brings to light the deception of ego, too. Can any sin can remain hidden under the brilliant light of the Word that says “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV)? He gives me intrinsic worth, a wonderful fact that must never be forgotten.  The declaration of His love relieves me from the need to perform and frees me to live – authentically, lovingly, and without concern for the approval of others.

Some mistakenly think that the way to defeat pride is to sin with abandon. This is a mistaken response to grace that plagued even the first disciples. Paul addressed it in his letter to the Romans. “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? … Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call!” (Romans 6:1, 5-6, The Message)

Disciple, are you gazing at yourself, admiring your goodness?  Are you a Christian Narcissus, in love with your image, increasingly out of touch with the reality hidden in your heart?  Is the Pharisee in thee alive and well?

Run to Jesus! Begin to worship, anew, at His Cross. Confess the pride born of comparison. AND, receive the grace offered freely.  Oh, what joy, what release is found to be holy when we accept a righteousness not of our own making. Oh, how I pray for a daily revelation of the profound truth of this word from the Word. “ I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (Philippians 3:8-10, NIV)

Pride stinks, grace is sweetly fragrant. May grace fill our heart, our words, our life – today.

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That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh,
How wonderful is love like this!

That Christ should join so freely in the scheme,
Although it meant His death on Calvary.
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me?

And now He takes me to His heart, a son;
He asks me not to fill a servant’s place.
The “far off country” wand’rings all are done;
Wide open are His arms of grace.

Such love, such wondrous love!
Such love, such wondrous love!
That God should love a sinner such as I,
How wonderful is love like this!

Such Love
Bishop, C. / Harkness, Robert© 1929. Renewed 1957 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
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