Pride: The Sin Beneath All Sin

Pride: The Sin Beneath All Sin Isaiah 14:13–19

13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ 18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; 19 but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword...

Introduction: We are starting a new series today called "The Seven Deadly Sins." This isn’t to suggest that there are seven deadly sins and all the others are no big deal and you can go commit them all you want.

But hopefully "deadly" will get the attention of all you people who dismiss warnings as suggestions until you see that you might die.

For centuries, Christian theologians have used categories to draw attention to particularly dangerous patterns. Thomas Aquinas referred to some sins as capital sins, as in a vice from which other vices arise. The idea is that these seven sins are root sins—deep patterns of disordered desire that give birth to many other sins.

Pride, for example, can produce envy, contempt, anger, self-reliance, and a refusal to repent. Greed can produce dishonesty, exploitation, discontentment, and anxiety. Lust can distort how we see and treat other people.

They are like a cancer that grows, and if unchecked and untreated, it will spread/metastasize into other areas and cause more problems. In the same way, we can spend our lives trying to manage individual behaviors without ever asking what is happening underneath them. In this series, we want to get at the roots of sin—get below the surface.

The problem with sin isn't simply that we occasionally do bad things. Sin gets into our loves. It bends good desires in the wrong direction. We want something good—respect, pleasure, security, success, recognition—and then we begin wanting it too much, in the wrong way, or more than we want God.

That's why Jesus doesn't merely come to make us better-behaved people. He comes to transform us from the inside out. The gospel doesn't just tell us, “Stop doing that.” It changes our hearts so we begin to desire something totally different than we once did.

And if we're going to understand these seven deadly sins, we have to begin where the church has traditionally begun: with pride.

Because pride isn't simply one sin among seven. Pride has long been understood as a kind of doorway into many of the others—the desire to put ourselves at the center rather than God.

The battle against pride is not merely about becoming more humble people, but rather it's about living fully and freely with God at the center of our lives.

1. The Great Sin of Pride

Pride is defined as a sense of one's dignity, value, or self-respect.

Growing up, I often heard people tell me to take pride in myself or in my school. When I became a Christian, I was confused that pride was bad. These words are being used in slightly different ways. You should certainly value yourself and others.

But oftentimes, an unhealthy appetite to be valued, respected, and esteemed develops to the point that it distorts everything else. That desire grows until we want to be in the very place of God.

The epitome of pride is the creature attempting to take the place of the Creator. This is what Isaiah speaks about.

This passage instructs us on the nature and folly of pride. Many people think this passage is about Satan. It certainly describes him. But historically, the immediate subject is the arrogant king of Babylon. God raised up the nation of Babylon to bring judgment on His people who were rejecting Him. And while God used him, God then judged him. All their dominance and prosperity will come to nothing. They had risen so high, prospered so much, and now God is taking it away. The passage presents the king of Babylon as fitting the archetype of self-exaltation; it shows what happens to all when their pride runs unchecked.

13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God...’

Who is in heaven? God. Can a mere man ascend there and enter in? No, absolutely not. No more than I can ascend into the Oval Office and kick back at the Resolute Desk.

Who is above the stars of God? The "stars of God" are not merely the stars in the sky. It is symbolic of the angels. In Revelation, the seven stars are the angels. Who can ascend above the angels? Probably the one and only who can ascend above the physical stars. That is God and God alone. So this is about thinking that one should, or even could be, in the place of God.

Pride is thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought.

The height of pride is believing we should be in the very place of God. I want a place of supreme adoration. I want to be celebrated and sung over and above everyone else. I want people to bow down and worship me. Pride is foolish!

Ironically, while this chapter shows the hubris of the Babylonian king, it also speaks about his fall. While the king thinks he will ascend to heaven, he has a trip to the grave in store. The foolishness of pride!

4 How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased! 5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers...

This great king had a great pride and it distorted his view of himself, causing him to think too highly of his position, his gifts, and his abilities—to think that he would live forever. It caused him to be a fool. Pride foolishly places us at the center of the universe and then overestimates our ability and worth.

Augustine's famous description of sin as incurvatus in se—“curved inward upon oneself”—captures something important about pride.

Pride distorts our view of everything. When we begin to see ourselves as above God, it doesn't just affect our view of church. We begin to view ourselves as more important than others, as above others, as better than others.

Pride is not necessarily the most obvious sin, but it is often the sin underneath the sin. It does not come in the form of a monster or zombie risen from the dead. It resides in successful people, people who have it all together, people who are average, people who are exceptional, people who are walking with the Lord, and those who are not. The question is not "Do you have it?" but rather "Are you fighting against it?"

2. Pride Is Fundamentally a Worship Problem

If pride is thinking more of ourselves than we should, then the height of pride is thinking we should be in the place of God. That means we believe we deserve the praise, worship, and adoration of all people—and not God. That is a spiritual problem.

Notice the language of Isaiah 14: “I will ascend…” “I will exalt my throne…” “I will sit…” “I will ascend above…” “I will make myself like the Most High.”

Five times: "I will." The problem isn't merely that the king thinks highly of himself. It's not that he values himself. The problem is that he has placed himself at the center of the universe.

The problem of pride is threefold: Me, myself, and I—the holy trinity of pride.

Can I just say how dumb that is! Did you create the stars? Do you hold them in place? Did you tell the water where to go? Did you give yourself life? You can’t even sustain the beating of your own heart! How foolish! You are worshiping the wrong thing.

This problem has been seen throughout history:

• Alexander the Great thought he was the incarnation of Zeus.

• The Caesars were worshiped as gods.

• Hitler was worshiped as a messiah by the German people.

• How many people have fallen today not because they wanted success, but because their success wasn't enough? Pride always wants more.

Everyone wants to be worshiped. We want to be seen as great and awesome—celebrated and hailed for what we have done.

Pride overthrows God's throne in our lives, and we insert ourselves. That is what Satan did. That is what the king of Babylon did. Dealing with pride is fundamentally about who is most important in your life.

There is a theological answer to this, and there is a functional answer to this. Many people will say God is number 1. We need to lift up the hood and see what's going on in the engine.

3. Pride Leads to Death

The problem of pride is not that it might lead to embarrassment or failure; the problem is that pride leads to death. The story of pride begins in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were told exactly what God had commanded, but the serpent offered them something more: “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Like God in power and authority. Their appetites craved that. They reached for a position that was not theirs, and death came into the world.

Think about this: They were in the Garden of Eden. "Eden" means pleasure or delight. They had all they needed. They walked with God. There was no curse, no pain, no hardship. And it wasn't good enough for them. They wanted to be on the throne of God. That is how foolish our hearts can be.

They disobeyed God and were separated from the source of life. In their pride, they wanted more. They wanted a better position. They wanted the ultimate position. They reached for it and found death. Death came into the world because their pride led to their sin and rejection of God.

You can trace that same deadly pattern throughout Scripture:

• What happened to King Saul? His head got big and he did things only the priest and prophet could do.

• How about Ananias and Sapphira, who thought they could lie to the Holy Spirit and get away with it?

• Or King Agrippa, when he saw how good he looked in his royal robes and made an announcement, and Acts 12:22–23 says: And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov 16:18)

The Titanic was the greatest ship ever built—massive in size and luxury. It was reported that when a passenger boarded and asked if it was true that the ship could not be sunk, a worker replied, “God Himself couldn't sink this ship.”

It is not an overstatement to say that pride is deadly.

Therefore, let's talk about some specific symptoms of pride and also talk about some of its remedies.

Symptoms (and Remedies) of Pride

Symptom 1: Pride Tears Others Down

Pride seeks to elevate the self over everyone else. If we can't get to where we want, the next best thing is to tear others down. If we aren't honored, then we dishonor others.

People will put others down in order to make themselves appear greater than they are. If I can't get you to recognize me, then let me make others seem less than me.

The proud Pharisee in Luke 18:11 prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people... like this sinful tax collector.” He was blind to his own self-righteousness.

Pride doesn't always say: “Look how great I am.” Sometimes it says: “At least I'm not as bad as him” or “You aren't any good either.”

You don't need to establish your worth by being better than somebody else. Does the failure of others make you feel better about yourself?

The most egregious expression of pride is when we tear down God. People don't want to worship God; they want to be worshiped. Well, you can't make yourself God, so the next best thing is you try to bring God down below you.

Attack His character and attributes: "How can God be good? Look at all these things going on in the world." "How can God be all-knowing? I took a semester of physics in college." You know this much about one field!

Let me also say Romans 1 talks about pride and failing to worship God, and how all creation is turned upside down when we do not worship God as we should. People inflict pain on themselves because they do not worship God. It says they receive the due penalty for their perversion. And that passage is about sex. When you go against God’s design, you suffer for it.

How many people are mad at God for a bad relationship? "Why did God allow this to happen?" Well, if you had honored God, you wouldn't have been in that relationship.

Slide Symptom 1: Pride Tears Others Down Remedy 1: Humility Honors

So the way we counter this tendency to tear down is: First, you honor other people. Encourage them. Help them. Lift them up. Praise others.

The other thing is that you worship God. You worship Him. See Him for who He is. Make yourself second. See yourself for who you are. That is the first step to thinking clearly. Are you honoring Him in your life, in your work, sex, and relationships? Make time for Him and worship Him.

Symptom 2: Pride Disconnects

Pride will disconnect you from God. Don’t you hate when your call gets disconnected or a text won't go through? Pride disconnects us. It interrupts the relationship with sayings like, “You don't really need God… Why would you read your Bible?… You are good… You got this…”

Your prayerlessness, your devotionless life, your lack of pursuit of God is at its core an expression of your own pride: "I just don't need Him. I need internet access. I need Wi-Fi. I can't do anything without ChatGPT, but I don't need time with God."

So demonstrate humility and get into the Word. Do what God says. Don’t gloss over His commands; they weren’t a suggestion. Church isn’t just one way to live your life. His Word is to protect you.

Pride separates us from other people. It disconnects us from their participation in our life. It says no one knows better than you. Humility says, "Let me seek the Lord." It says, "Let me bring others in. Let me make sure I’m seeing this right."

Admit and receive help. Shirt on backwards: "Hey man, your shirt is on backward."

Symptom 2: Pride Disconnects Remedy 2: Humility Brings Others In

Pride separates you from God and people. Humility brings others in.

Symptom 3: Pride Is Easily Offended

In this passage, there is an offense at not being above the angels: “I will raise myself above them. I should be above the angels. I will ascend above the clouds and be like the Most High.” In reality, he is brought down to Sheol (vv. 14–15).

Pride will rage when it is brought low.

Do you struggle with anger? Why do you get angry? Perhaps you need to consider whether your pride has been wounded. You are not getting what you want, you are not receiving the recognition you think you deserve, and you become angry. That is an assertive expression of one's wounded pride.

Can we talk about parents watching kids play sports? Parents who get so angry at refs, or when you see people get told to leave a game. What's going on? Your child represents you. It's your child, and how dare they!

Let me also give you a more passive expression of pride: discouragement/depression. Why is there so much discouragement today? One reason can be pride. You have not attained your unrealistic and often proud expectations. You are dejected and saddened. You are reaching out for help and sympathy.

When you are proud:

• Criticism feels threatening.

• Disrespect makes you angry.

• Being overlooked makes you resentful.

• Being laughed at feels humiliating.

Develop thick skin. People will criticize you, and it will be OK.

Symptom 3: Pride Is Easily Offended Remedy 3: Humility Laughs

Can I encourage you to learn to laugh at yourself? Learn not to take yourself quite so seriously. Have enough confidence in Christ that you are willing to laugh at your inadequacies. You don't have to protect an image of yourself that God never asked you to maintain.

Symptom 4: Pride Demands More Remedy 4: Humility Gives Thanks

Pride demands. And it always demands more. You start feeding that and it is going to keep coming back for more. “I deserve better.” Counter it by giving thanks and being content: "I am blessed. Give thanks."

Symptom 5: Pride Blames Others

Is there a problem? Yes. Who is responsible? Well, obviously not me. I didn't do it. I'm incapable of being wrong. You guys figure it out.

Pride deflects: "OK, but you did more damage than me."

Look, if there is a problem, and you contributed 1% of the problem, then you need to fully own 100% of that 1%. It's interesting how what you see as 1% may be 100% for another person.

Humility takes responsibility. Own your mistakes. Say, “I'm sorry, I was wrong.” Say, “Will you forgive me?”

When we see and own our shortcomings, that positions us to receive help. It also shows just how deep our change needs to be. I don't just need advice to do better. I need a change in my soul and heart.

Kids stacking wood.

What do you do when someone is proud and arrogant, and you give them advice, but they ignore what you say? They ignore your advice and show they care nothing about your opinion. In fact, they went and did the exact opposite because they thought they knew better than you, and then they disrespect you for your advice.

You say, "The heck with them." Well, that is what your pride and arrogance deserve. That is why sin separates us from God.

What's even worse is that after they reject you and get into a big mess, you have to go and clean it up. That takes humility. Couldn't get it right to begin with—now I have to come and clean you up.

Well, this is what Jesus did. Our pride led us on a path to destruction. It wasn't just a less-than-ideal life; it was the fast track to death. (Don't let your pride understate your failings.)

God did the unthinkable. He came to clean up our mess.

Jesus is the exact opposite of Isaiah 14's “I will.” Philippians 2 says Jesus “humbled Himself.” Jesus leaves His throne, takes the form of a servant, and willingly dies for us. Someone had to die to clean up your mess. Ever wonder if anyone loves you? Jesus died for you. He loves you.

And because Christ humbled Himself:

"God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name." — Philippians 2:9

This fixes us on the greatness of God. It acknowledges our own depravity. This is just the way it is. It's not trying to put makeup on God and it's not trying to belittle who we are. It's calling a spade a spade. And what it means is we can be saved from our pride because of Jesus. That causes us to worship, to give thanks, to celebrate, to want to look to Him.

Symptom 5: Pride Blames Others Remedy 5: Humility Takes Responsibility

The fix for pride isn't just saying "do better." It's humbling yourself and honestly admitting, “I can't fix this. I messed up too bad, my problem is too deep (it's not cosmetic, but ontological), and I don't deserve to get an appointment with God.”

Response: Today you have two paths to choose. Any time you recognize you have done something wrong, you can either humble yourself, own it, and find forgiveness, or you can remain proud, live in your own delusion, and suffer the increasingly painful reality of never moving past it.

You can choose the way of humility—responding and following God, admitting and confessing your mistakes and pride. It's a new way of seeing and living. Or you simply continue the path you have been walking.

If you continue in your pride, unrepentant and keeping God at arm's length, it will result in your death—physical, spiritual, and eternal death. But if you humble yourself, confess your sins, and put your faith in Jesus, you will be saved.

You have to make that decision. If you have not done that, do it today. If you are unsure if you have done it or not, make it clear. Make today the day you begin to say, "Jesus is my Lord and Savior." And tell me. Tell your friend. Humble yourself and make it known.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is pride such a deadly sin? How is pride related to worship?

2. Which symptom of pride do you most need to fight right now? What would humility look like in that specific area?

3. How does pride lead to death? How does Jesus save us from that death?

4. Who is someone in your life who may be struggling with pride, self-reliance, or self-exaltation? How could you lovingly point them toward the humility, forgiveness, and salvation found in Jesus?