Pride is the root of self righteousness.  It is the cause of Lucifer’s downfall and Adam and Eve’s lost condition.  The lost are not lost because they reject Jesus.  They reject Jesus because they are lost and it is their pride which keeps the majority of the lost from coming to God.

“And I, if I (Jesus) be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32

When the Name of Jesus Christ (Who He is and what HE has done on Calvary’s Cross to save the lost) is lifted up among the people, the conviction of the Holy Spirit arouses our moral consciousness (the Law of God written on our heart) and the convicted sinner either approves the judgment of sin and accepts Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice as their Substitute to save them from the penalty of sin which is death (Romans 6:23) or disproves God’s judgment of sin and rejects Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice.

This work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man is the only way the pride of man is pierced.  The Holy Spirit only works within the parameters of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  There is no other Name under Heaven whereby man can be Saved (Acts 4:12).  Unless Jesus Christ is lifted up and the Holy Spirit draws men unto Him, the pride of man will keep the lost from coming to God.

I heard a lady who rehabilitated squirrels say her tithes went to rehabilitating the squirrels.  As ridiculous at that sounds to many (as it should), she was a professing Christian and was sincere in her statement.  Many others who do various good works, even supporting orphanages, etc., consider their works as tithes.  As good as these things are, and make no mistake, feeding the hungry and supporting orphanages is a wonderful thing to do, HOWEVER, they are not supporting the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified going forth to the four corners of the world.

Sadly, the pride of man which keeps man from coming to God through faith in the Cross of Christ for Salvation will also keep the Believer from coming to God through faith in the Cross of Christ in their daily living .   In other words, instead of submitting unto God’s Plan for an abundant life and all the He has in store for the Believer by Grace through faith in Jesus and His finished work, we quickly devise our own methods and place our faith in those methods for victory.   Our actions, the methods we apply for victory in our daily living for God (efforts, intellect, education, talents), may appear right to our own conscience but are in fact at enmity with God (Romans 8:6).

The worldly statutes applied to God’s work in our heart and life, defile and corrupt.  It is the poison in the pot.  The leaven which leavens the whole lump.  It is the vein of pride which produces self righteousness and leads to a haughty spirit.  Just as the lost do not come to the Cross of Christ because they are lost, so to do those who have devised their own methods for daily living for God not come to the Cross of Christ because they have devised their own way.  Their pride is hindering them from submitting to God.  We can’t resist the devil unless we are submitted unto God (James 4:7).  Furthermore, the devil will not flee as long as we can’t resist him…no matter the method we devised.  If it’s not faith in the Cross of Christ, we are not submitted unto God.

Beware of satan’s devices to seduce the pride of man and hinder the humility which can only be found in the Cross of Christ.  For we are HIS workmanship (not our own), created in Christ Jesus unto good works by Grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10).

“Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19

-Donna Clark Warren