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The Haughtiness of Hell
and the
Holiness of Heaven
by Steve Bussey
Hubris is defined as "overconfident
pride combined with arrogance." It is a vice that blinds an
individual from basic common sense. Sadly, we are living in a
world today that promotes this idea as a virtue and we can see
this subtly making its way into the church.
In the kingdom of God, hubris is a
deadly and unholy characteristic that has dramatic temporal
and eternal consequences.
Samuel Logan Brengle warned us in
"Holiness and humility":
"The sinful heart apologizes for
itself, excuses inbred sin, favors it, argues for it. A man
who still has the carnal mind says, 'I think one ought to have
a little pride. I would not give a snap of my finger for a man
who had not some temper. A man who will not stand up for his
rights is weak.' And so he excuses, and argues in favor of,
the sin in his own heart.
Not so the man who is holy. He
remembers his former pride, and loathes himself for it, and
longs and prays to sink deeper and deeper into the infinite
ocean of his Saviour's humility, until every trace and stain
of pride are forever washed away."
So let's take a quick dive into some
proverbial wisdom from the Old Testament and a word of warning
from Paul in the early church.
Proverbs 16:18 reminds us, "pride goes
before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." The
word "pride" in Hebrew is "ga'own" meaning "arrogance, pomp, a
swelling of majesty." "Sheber" means "brokenness or
destruction." It is used by the prophets to link the pride
that led to the destruction of Jerusalem.
In other words, those who are filled
with hubris will be so blinded by their own self-delusion that
they will lead those under their care into utter destruction.
You can see why Scripture warns against this deadly vice!
Proverbs 16:18 goes on to use the term
"gobah" or "haughtiness." The word literally means "height" -
thinking you are a head above the rest! Remember Saul - and
the external qualities that Samuel the judge looked at (and
judged incorrectly, mind you!). Saul was literally "a head
taller than everyone else" (1 Samuel 9:2) - and yet his
physical height was nothing compared to his psychological
height - a haughtiness that was covering up deep, carnal
insecurities that would lead to short (pun intended!)-term
success and long-term destruction. Why? Because his ego was
big but his heart was small. He trusted in his height over
trusting the Lord in his heart!
Jeremiah (48:29-30) used this term to
refer to Moab, who God declared was full of themselves:
“We have heard of Moab’s pride-
how great is her arrogance!-
of her insolence, her pride, her
conceit
and the haughtiness of her heart.
I know her insolence but it is futile,”
declares the Lord,
“and her boasts accomplish nothing.
Proverbs 16:18 combines this idea of
"height" (gobah) with "spirit" - the word "rū·aḥ" - which is
the word used to describe the breath or spirit God breathed
into the dust to create human beings - His "moral image"
(Genesis 2:7). So when we are filled with a "haughty spirit"
there is no room for the Holy Spirit in our hearts. This means
that the Spirit cannot bear witness with our spirit that we
are children of God when hubris is rooted in our hearts
(Romans 8:16). So a spirit filled with hubris suffocates
spiritual life in a person, hubris asphyxiates holiness of
heart and life. It degenerates that which God wants to
regenerate.
Proverbs 8:13 reminds us that, "to fear
the LORD is to hate evil; [God] hate[s] pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech"
Paul also addresses this deadly sin
when he speaks to the church at Corinth and suggests that they
have drifted into significant error (and thus deep division
threatening to destroy the gospel witness in their community)
which applies the intellectual manipulation of the wisdom of
the world and the political manipulation of power for one's
own carnal objectives.
I pray that God might deliver the
church today from this age-old tactic of the enemy. May God
sanctify us and lead us towards the foolish, weak, and
insignificance of the cross that we may boast not in ourselves
but in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Reflect on the words of wise counsel 1
Corinthians 1:18-30 which identifies the bankruptcy of hubris
existing in the hearts of believers:
18 For the word of the cross is folly
to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it
is the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning
I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where
is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the
world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through
the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks
seek wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a
stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of
God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser
than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers:
not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not
many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the
world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world
to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised
in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing
things that are,
29 so that no human being might boast
in the presence of God.
30 And because of him you are in Christ
Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and
sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the
one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Brengle offers this wise counsel on the
marks of a truly humble person:
1. A truly humble soul does not take
offense easily, but is 'pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality, and without hypocrisy.' (James 3:17)
2. He is not jealous of his position
and dignity, or quick to resent what seems to touch them.
Before the disciples were sanctified, they found a man who was
casting out devils in the name of Jesus, and they took offense
because he did not follow them; and forbade him. Self is very
sensitive. 'But Jesus said, Forbid him not.' (Mark 9:39)
3. A truly humble person does not seek
great things for himself, but agrees with Solomon when he
says, 'Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly
than to divide the spoil with the proud.' (Prov. 16:19.)
He rejoices in lowly service, and is
more anxious to be faithful to duty and loyal to principle
than to be renowned among men. The disciples were often
disputing among themselves which should be the greatest, but
Jesus washed their feet as an object lesson, and commanded
them to become servants of one another, if they would be
great.
4. Humble people are modest in dress.
They think more of 'the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit'
than of the clothes they wear. They will endeavor always to be
clean and neat, but never fine and showy.
5. They are also plain and simple in
speech. They seek to speak the truth with clearness and
accuracy and in the power of the Holy Spirit, but never with
'great swelling words' and bombast, or with forced tears and
pathos that will arouse admiration for themselves.
They never try to show off. To them, it
is painful to have people say, 'You are clever,' 'That was a
fine speech.' But they are full of humble, thankful joy when
they learn that through their word some sinful soul was saved,
some erring one corrected, or some tempted one delivered.
They speak not to please men, but their
Heavenly Master; not to be applauded, but to feed hungry
hearts; not to be admired of men, but to be approved of God.
And, on the other hand, their humility
keeps them from criticizing and judging those who have not
these marks of humility. They pray for such people, and leave
all judgment to God, who in His own time will try every man's
work by fire (1 Cor. 3:13)."
Let's turn away from the haughtiness of
hell and aim for the holiness of heaven!
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