Pride and Self-Esteem (Part 1) – Pride is Evil

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Pride and Self-Esteem

1. There are two extremes that we need to avoid concerning our image of ourselves.
2. On one hand, popular culture teaches us that pride is a virtue, which is certainly wrong.
3. On the other hand, some fundamentalist churches teach that self-esteem is entirely evil, which is also wrong.

1. Pride is evil
2. Pride n. – B. Signification. The quality of being proud. 1.  a. A high or overweening opinion of one’s own qualities, attainments, or estate, which gives rise to a feeling and attitude of superiority over and contempt for others; inordinate self-esteem.
3. Proud – I. 1. a. Having or cherishing a high or lofty opinion of oneself; valuing oneself highly on account of one’s position, rank, attainments, possessions, etc.; Usually in a bad sense: Disposed to take an attitude of superiority to and contempt for others; arrogant, haughty, overweening, supercilious.
4. There is no such thing as “good pride” in the Bible.
5. “Pride” is used 49 times in the Bible, only thrice in the NT, and it is always used in a bad sense.
6. “Proud” and its variants are used 57 times in the Bible, 6 times in the NT, and it is also never used in a good sense.
7. If you want to express your high opinion of someone else or their accomplishments, say that you are pleased with them, not proud of them.
8. Society teaches us that pride is a virtue, not a vice.
9. This is apparent by the “Proud to be an American” songs, shirts, and bumper stickers.
10. If you doubt that Americans are proud people, just look at their “Proud Parent of an Honor Student” bumper stickers.
11. Pride is a sin.
12. Having pride and being proud go hand-in-hand (Isa 16:6).
13. They are both sin (Pro 21:4).
14. Pride is a worldly quality (1Jo 2:16).
15. Pride is classified with serious sins (Mar 7:21-22; Rom 1:30; 2Ti 3:2).

iii.    Pride was the underlying sin of Sodom (Eze 16:49-50 c/w Rom 1:21-27).

1. The wicked are proud (Job 40:12; Psa 10:2; Psa 86:14; Rom 1:30).
2. Pride is a companion of arrogance (1Sa 2:3; Pro 8:13; Jer 48:29; Isa 13:11).
3. Pride goes with lying (Psa 31:18) and believing lies (Psa 40:4).
4. Pride leads to the following:
5. Not seeking God (Psa 10:4).
6. Not keeping God’s commandments (Neh 9:16, 29).

iii.    Not believing God’s word (Jer 43:2).

1. Teaching false doctrine (1Ti 6:3-4).
2. Not getting wisdom (Pro 11:2; Pro 13:10).
3. God’s view of pride
4. God hates pride (Pro 6:16-17; Pro 16:5).
5. Jesus, who is the wisdom of God (1Co 1:24), also hates pride (Pro 8:12-13).
6. God is against the proud (Jer 50:31-32; Jam 4:6; 1Pe 5:5).
7. God will destroy the proud (Pro 15:25; Pro 16:18; Pro 29:23; Mal 4:1).
8. God will destroy a proud nation (USA) (Hos 5:5).
9. God will afflict His children to prevent them from getting proud (2Co 12:7-10).
10. God will abase (humble) us if we become proud (Dan 4:29-37).

III. Self-esteem is the value that a person places upon themselves.

1. Esteem n. – 1. Estimate, valuation, in phr. to make an esteem.  b. Estimated value, valuation.  c. to put, set (an) esteem, a high, low esteem upon: to set a value upon, cause to be esteemed (highly, etc.).
2. Self-esteem – Favourable appreciation or opinion of oneself.
3. “Self-esteem” is not a bad thing in and of itself. It just depends on how one esteems themselves.
4. Having a realistic opinion of one’s self (self-esteem) is not pride.
5. To have pride or be proud is to have a high, lofty, or overweening opinion of one’s self (see definitions above).
6. Overweening – 1. Of a person: That thinks, expects, or has an opinion, beyond what is reasonable or just; overconfident or sanguine in one’s own opinion; conceited, arrogant, presumptuous, self-opinionated. 2. Of opinion, estimate, pretension, desire, etc.: Conceited; excessive, exaggerated, too high.
7. Lofty – 1. Extending to a great height in the air; of imposing altitude, towering. 2. In figurative and immaterial applications. a. Haughty, overweening, proud.
8. Pride is inordinate self-esteem, not just simply an accurate self-esteem.
9. Inordinate – 1. Not ‘ordered’; devoid of order or regularity; deviating from right or rule; irregular, disorderly; not regulated, controlled, or restrained. 2. Not kept within orderly limits, immoderate, intemperate, excessive.
10. Inordinate self-esteem is an opinion of one’s self that is excessive and not regulated by the truth.
11. A person is deceived who thinks more highly of himself than he ought to think (Gal 6:3).
12. A proud person is overconfident and has an excessive and exaggerated opinion and estimation of himself.
13. On the other hand, a person who has a realistic opinion and estimation of themselves is not proud, and is therefore not sinning by doing so.
14. A person with an unrealistically low opinion of themselves can still be proud (more on this in Section V,4,F,v).