SELF-PRIDE is the ROOT of ALL SIN
September
4 Bible Reading: Ezekiel Chapters 28-30
SELF-PRIDE is the ROOT of ALL SIN
“You
were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy
mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You
were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was
found in you...your heart was lifted up
because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your
splendor" (Ezek 28:14-15, 17)
The
prophecies of Ezekiel in verses 11-19 was addressed to the King of Tyre instead
of the prince of Tyre. The description of the king of Tyre - as the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, as having been in Eden the
garden of God, as having every precious stone as a covering, as being the
anointed cherub, and as having been on the holy mountain of God - taken
together seem too impressive for any earthly ruler. For this reason many Bible
students see in these verses a description of Lucifer (Satan) and of his fall
from heaven.
As a
descriptive passage on Lucifer (Satan), the content reveals more about his fall
than any other passage in the Bible. He served near the presence of God (v.
14), was perfect (v. 15), became guilty of the sin of pride (v. 17), and was
therefore destined for judgment (vv. 16-19). The statement “You were perfect… till iniquity was found in you” (v. 15) is the
closest that the Bible ever comes to explaining the origin of sin. It began when one of God’s previously perfect
creatures rebelled against Him. Lucifer was the most beautiful cherub, but
because of his self-pride he was destroyed. If
self-pride was deadly enough to destroy a most powerful and wise angel, how
much more should we humans make sure not to be proud of ourselves!
Lucifer was
thus expelled from heaven because of his pride and desire to be equal with God.
(Isaiah 14:12–15). The origin of Lucifer’s sin was pride in his beauty. He
allowed his splendor to corrupt his wisdom. Ultimately,
all sin is rooted in this self-pride!
The essence
of self-pride is self-centeredness
and selfishness. It claims that
whatever we have achieved is by our own virtue, and leaves God and other
circumstances out of our successes. It wants to be center stage always and
takes all the credit for oneself. Self-pride
is the opposite of thankfulness and gratitude, and should be avoided at all
costs as it is the root of all evil. Let us give credit and thanks to God
for all that we have accomplished so far in our lives!
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
