Human Nature
The carnal mind ever lies in wait for self-exaltation, and will catch at any straw for this end.
Deceptions are recorded in God’s Word with their corrections, that we may avoid them: if Abraham deceived, we find him corrected; if Isaac deceived, he is rebuked; and the deception Jacob practised on his father was visited upon him for almost all his life. If David and Jonathan had agreed to cast themselves only upon God, how much after-trouble would have been prevented! (1 Sam. 20 and on.)1
Correction does not always consist in bitter things coming upon us, but it may be in our failing to obtain some higher honour, which, had we walked in greater simplicity, we should have received from God.
That is the hardest to bear which touches my pride; offended pride has no bowels, and hearkens to no reason.
Hurry is the working of the flesh; faith, like God, works at leisure.
Angels have no envy, because they have no pride. Is God glorified? angels are happy. Let the glory of God be our delight, our meat, our drink. Love envieth not: if one member be honoured, saith love, that is my honour, my joy.
Christ must be extolled and be very high in our hearts, if the unruly flesh and its wayward cravings are to be curbed.
Self-righteousness and carnal wisdom are ringleaders of the enemies of the soul.
We should deal with our corrupt nature as we would with a notorious thief, - never trust it.
The greater part of our sorrows arise from mortified pride, thwarted self-will, and anxious unbelief.
Pride has always an envious eye and an envious tongue: envy is but the vexation of pride.
It is a mark of true growth in grace and spirituality of mind, to be looking back and dealing afresh with God respecting past iniquities. The soul is greatly profited by a tender conscience dealing before the Lord with the sins of early youth. Defects of character, and feeble resistance of temptation, may be traced up to neglect of dealing with God through the cross about our easily besetting sins. Looking back and reviewing our past state will enable us to read the story of God’s present discipline, and aid us in the present and future growth of our souls.
The gospel of Christ is a more open enemy to the pride of man than is the law of Moses. Israel received Moses’ commandments with vows of obedience, but said of Christ, “Away with Him! crucify Him!”
The master-sin of man is independence of God. What is the cure? Christ the Son of God self-abased, even to the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:5-8.)2
Naaman, the Syrian, was somebody in his own sight; therefore he was angry at the commandment which made him nothing.
If we think we are undervalued, let us weigh ourselves in God’s balances, and we shall easily bear the slight.
The vauntings of self-exalting man are but the trickery of his pride, to hide his native vanity from his own eye and his neighbour’s.
Man without God may seem something at a distance. Come near him; be familiar with him; you find him to be nothing. But “blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be still praising Thee.” Even now, while yet in the earthly house of this tabernacle, we find that growing acquaintance with God brings with it increase of reverence and love. Oh, blessed hope! we shall know as we are known; see face to face and be satisfied; waking up in the likeness of the Lord.
Many there are who can talk well of the truth of the gospel, but who, when called to self-denial, taking up crosses, suffering for Christ’s sake, prove sounding brass and tinkling cymbals: knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.
Absalom’s vanity let his hair grow long; and his long hair did the service of the hangman’s rope. Let parents hear the warning voice, and teach their children from earliest days to reckon the fear of God their best ornament.
Fußnoten
Philippians 2: 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.↩︎