Fight Pride with Joy in Christ

I listened to an amazing sermon by Tim Keller about pride. Based on the book of Ester, Keller described two forms of pride. The first form is the superiority form of pride. This is the kind of pride that elevates the self above some other person or class. The second type of pride is the inferiority type of pride. This type of pride constantly degrades the self, where we are down about our looks or talents or station in life.

What both forms have in common is a relentless focus on the self. When you feel superior to others, you are mainly seeing yourself. And when you are downing yourself, you are almost totally focused on self.

Both forms are deadly. Keller calls pride the carbon monoxide of sin. You cannot see it or smell it but it is deadly. This is true because the bible constantly affirms that pride goes before a fall. In addition, the bible says that God is opposed to the proud (see 1 Peter 5). That means when we are gripped by our feelings of superiority, God stands opposed to us; and when we are gripped by our inferiority, God opposes us.

So what can we do? How can we be free from the slaving terror of pride? We meditate one how Christ emptied himself of all glory to make us sons and daughters of glory. We meditate on the gospel until our hearts are melted into self-forgetfulness. Then we can live for his glory. We become interested--truly interested--in others, because we are not constantly posturing or comparing. In other words, the only cure for the prideful soul is to be captured by the joy of Jesus to the glory of the grace of God