Humble? Or Proud and Boastful

         
          God clearly commands Christians to be humble, not proud and boastful.

          Sometimes, we Christians may be tempted to self-righteously look down
     on unbelievers who lead immoral lives, but we need to remember that we are
     saved by grace, not by any good thing we do, and all our blessisngs come from
     God, because of His mercy, and love for us.

          Every time a Christian is proud of himself or boastful about something he
     has done, he is sinning and breaking a command of God.  We are told to be
     humble instead.


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          Pride and boasting can be problems for Christians and non-christians alike.

          There's a certain athlete who, to me, seems to be the epitome of pride in
     himself.  He shall remain nameless, but most sport fans will know who he is.

          His pride shows in several ways.

          He gave himself the nickname "King James," even though most people re-
    ceive their nicknames from others.
          He has the words "Anointed One" tattoed on his back in big letters.
          Boasting isn't beyond him either, as he bragged last year before his new team
     had played even one game, that [they would win] "not one, not two, not three, not
     four, not five, ... [championships].


                                   
          The Bible warns people about being proud and boastful.


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          *PRIDE

         
                                        "A man's pride brings him low,
                                         but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."
                                                                                Proverbs 29:23


         Pride is a sin.


                                        "Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the
                                         lamp of the wicked, are sin!"
                                                                               Proverbs 21:4


        Ultimately, pride leads to destruction.


                                       "Pride goes before destruction,
                                        a haughty spirit before a fall."
                                                                             Proverbs 16:18


          *BOASTING


          The Bible tells us boasting is wrong, even evil.


                                       "Your boasting is not good.
                                         Don't you know that a little
                                         yeast (sin) works through the
                                         whole batch of dough?"
                                                                      1 Corinthians 5:6


                                      "As it is, you boast and brag.
                                       All such boasting is evil."
                                                                      James 4:16


                                     "To the arrogant I (God) say,
                                     'Boast no more, and to the wicked,
                                     'Do not lift up your horns."
                                                                     Psalm 75:4


          The Bible tells us to boast only in the LORD, or in our weakness.


                                    "My soul will boast in the LORD;
                                     let the afflicted hear and rejoice."
                                                                    Psalm 34:2



                                   "This is what the LORD says:

                                    'Let not the wise man boast of his
                                    wisdom or the strong man boast of
                                    his strength, or the rich man boast
                                    of his riches, but let him who boasts
                                    boast about this:

                                    'that he understands and knows me,
                                    that I am the LORD, who exercises
                                    kindness, justice, and righteousness
                                    on earth, for in these I delight,'
                                    declares the LORD."
                                                                   Jeremiah 9:23-24


                                   "It is because of Him that you are in
                                    Christ Jesus, who has become for us
                                    wisdom from God - that is, our right-
                                    eousness, holiness, and redemption.
                                    Therefore, as it is written:
                                    'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.' "
                                                                   1 Corinthians 1:30-31


                                   "If I must boast, I will boast of the things
                                    that show my weakness."
                                                                    2 Corinthians 11:30


                                   "May I never boast except in the cross of
                                    our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the
                                    world has been crucified to me, and I to
                                    the world."
                                                                     Galatians 6:14


          Salvation is a gift from God, and we have no reason to boast because of any
    good works of our own.  Even faith and grace are gifts.


                                  "For it is by grace you have been saved,
                                   through faith - and this not from your-
                                   selves, it is the gift of God - not by works,
                                   so that no one can boast."
                                                                      Ephesians 2:8-9


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          *HUMILITY


          God lifts up the humble.


                                   (God said), "This is the one I esteem:

                                   he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
                                   and trembles at my word."
                                                                 Isaiah 66:2b


                                  "Humble yourselves before the Lord,
                                   and He will lift you up."
                                                                James 4:10


                                 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under
                                  God's mighty hand, that He may lift
                                  you up in due time."
                                                                1 Peter 5:6


                                 "For whoever exalts himself will be
                                  humbled, and whoever humbles  him-
                                  self will be exalted."
                                                              Matthew 23:12


          God cares for the humble.


                                   "God opposes the proud
                                     but gives grace to the humble."
                                                                 James 4:6b


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          Even Jesus humbled Himself.  We should follow His example and be humble.


                                   "And being found in appearance as a man,
                                    He humbled himself and became obedient
                                    to death - even death on a cross!"
                                                                Philippians 2:8