“Before disaster the heart of a man is haughty and filled with self-importance, But humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12 AMP

A stern warning today about the dangers of pride. Our verse today opens with the word “disaster.’ The Hebrew word used here is the word meaning to “be in a state of fracturing injury which has ongoing effects such as disfiguration of the face or crippling of a limb; the complete destruction of a thing beyond repair.” There are situations in our life that we face that bring less than favorable results. This however is speaking about an intentional practice of plan that is designed to totally destroy something. Clearly the verse is talking about actions or activities that one undertakes designed to bring harm or destroy that the person thinks will actually produce the opposite result! Remember our verse in the book of Romans?

“Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.”

Romans 1:32 AMP

We must remember a basic principle of life…

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.” Galatians 6:7 AMP

We see this attitude unfolding around the globe today clothed as tolerance. Even the use of the word tolerance isn’t correct in its application today! The definition of the word is as follows; “the capacity to endure continued subjection to something or condition without adverse reaction.” Well, sin my fried always has an adverse reaction!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 3:23 AMP

 My friend, as the Apostle Paul warned, “Do not be deceived! God has no tolerance for sin. We are not talking about putting up with mushrooms on your pizza or not wanting to east brussels sprouts, we are talking about life destroying sin and eternal suffering! I would say that those are adverse results of sin! Notice the source of all this confusion, “the heart of a man is haughty and filled with….and here it is…self-importance! It is the “I am God and can decide what I can do and where I can do it!” 

The word haughty used here is the word meaning to “elevate one thing over another.” Man has decided to elevate his perspective, wants, desires, and understandings over those of the One who created him! People seem to forget the verse in Isaiah,

“But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in justice, And God, the Holy One, will show Himself holy in righteousness [through His righteous judgments].” Isaiah 5:16 AMP 

The whole reason Jesus came and died was to satisfy the justice of God. If God would not have delt with sin, then there is someone or something else that is more just than God! May it never be. Sin was a legal issue that had to be settled. By becoming a bondservant, living a perfect life, He became the perfect sacrifice to satisfy the justice demanded by God. We are reminded in the book of Hebrews,

“The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority],” Hebrews 1:3 AMP

All of this was initiated when He humbled Himself for us!

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [b]robbery to be equal with God,  7but [c]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2: 5-11 NKJV

Do you see it? “Let this mind be in you…” What mind? A mind of humility! Then and only then can you experience the life-giving power of the One who gave it all! Have a humble day! Pastor Ken