July - 21
A DEADLY SIN: PRIDE
[The Lord] mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34
We noted in yesterday’s reading that belonging to Jesus means belonging to each other. One bread—one body. That’s what the church is. And belonging to each other means looking out for each other. The church has encouraged Christian community by identifying areas of special concern for Christian living. Many years ago it discerned seven sins that produce deadly consequences for God’s people, eroding our relationship with God.
Pride is the first of those deadly sins. Pride rushes in where humility breaks down.
Today’s verses from Luke 18 point to that. The Pharisee was the less obvious sinner, but actually both he and the tax collector had the same problem: tainted spiritual blood. Regardless of public opinion, both were sinners.
In pride we assume that in spite of our guilty taint, we are not as bad as someone else. Then we assume that we don’t need the same “cleansing” from Jesus. In short, we don’t need God’s offer of grace.
That’s when we run into trouble with God. It doesn’t matter what we think of ourselves or what others think of us: bad blood is bad blood. Our pride gets in the way of dealing with forgiveness and renewal. As Proverbs points out, grace comes only to the humble because only humility moves us to get honest with God and others.
Are you experiencing God’s grace?
PRAYER
Lord, some people’s lives clearly show why they need you. I know I’m one of them, but I don’t always see it. Please show me so that I may genuinely come to you. Amen.
在昨天的经文中，我们看到归属耶稣就等于彼此相属，一个饼—— 一个身体，这就是教会了。彼此相属就是彼此关顾，教会指出基督徒生活某些有问题的地方，来促进基督徒彼此相交，所以它在多年前鉴定了七项罪，这七项罪会在神的子民身上带来致命伤，从而侵蚀我们与神的关系。
骄傲是这七项致死的罪的第一项，当谦卑的心瓦解时，骄傲便乘虚而入。
今天读到的路加福音18章就是以此为题，法利赛人的罪虽没有那么明显，但事实上他和税吏都有同一个问题：灵的血已受污染。无论众人的看法如何，他们同是罪人。
虽然是满身罪污，但我们仍然骄傲地假设自己没有某个人那么败坏，我们因此以为，我们不像他们那样需要耶稣的「洁净」。简单来说，我们不需要神赐的恩典。
我们就是这样得罪了神。不论我们怎样看自己，不论别人怎样看我们，污染的血毕竟是污染的血，我们的骄傲妨碍我们饶恕人和更新生命。就如箴言所说，恩典只会临到谦卑的人，因为惟有谦卑下来，我们才能对神和对人坦诚。
你在经历神的恩典吗？
祷告
主啊，有些人的生命明显表现出他们为甚么需要祢，我就是其中之一，可是我却不是常常意识到，求祢让我看见我的需要，好叫我能真心诚意到那里。阿们。