Have You Got A 'Pride Problem'?

A 'pride problem'! It is usually very easy for us to spot — in someone else! Of course there are some things we can be justly proud of — our favourite team when it wins something; our school when it does well; our family and so on. But if we bring pride into religion, it becomes absolutely destructive.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians — a congregation that he loved - he wrote very strong words to them, calling them foolish and bewitched. What caused him to write such things? It was because they had become proud. In what way? They believed in Jesus, didn't they? They were Christians, weren't they? Yes, they were but here is where they went wrong. They did believe in Jesus but they also believed that they needed to do something more themselves to make their salvation complete. They thought Jesus needed their help to save them so they started keeping all the old Jewish laws. They were proud enough to think they were completing what Jesus had done for them.

That was why Paul called them foolish and bewitched. We cannot improve on what Jesus has done for our salvation — it is perfect and complete and it is God's gift to all who are humble enough to accept it. We cannot bring anything to God to pay for it and we cannot work for it.

Prayer

Dear Lord, take from me all my pride. Help me to trust in you alone and in your righteousness to save me. Amen.