Now He said, also, to some who have confidence in themselves that they are just, this parable: "Two men went up into the sanctuary to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tribute collector. The Pharisee, standing, prayed to himself: 'God, I am thanking you that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tribute collector. I am fasting twice of a sabbath, I am taking tithes from whatever I am acquiring.' Now the tribute collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, 'God, make a propitiatory shelter for me, a sinner!' I am saying to you, this man descended to his house justified, rather than that one, for everyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, yet he who is humbling himself shall be exalted."
Lukes Account 18: 9-14, Concordant New Testament
People know well the warning, but they insist upon engaging in that which they have been warned against. The phrase "Foolish pride" has been around for some time. In my time in the gym, I have come across many a prideful individual. It seems that the gym, any gym, is a breeding ground for those who are proud not only of their appearance, but in what they have accomplished to get there. Me, I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to better my own health and well being. Recently there has been a good number of threads coming across my social media of guys who profess to be proud of who they are. They are unashamed that they all too often puff themselves up with advice to others that they also need to be proud of who they are as individuals. As I so often do, I have recently turned to seeing just what it is that the Lord sees of our own pride in who we are. First off, when we claim that we are proud of ourselves as individuals, we are lying. If we were indeed individuals, nobody else could stake claim to our own creation. Many believers would agree that God created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}. That He then breathed into us the breath of life, creating a living soul {Genesis 2:7}. So, as individuals, we were created by God? How does that work? It is no wonder that the scriptures are filled with warnings of our being proud in ourselves. Jesus speaks the parable of the Pharisee and the tribute collector (Tax collector) in the book of Luke {Lukes Account 18:9-14}. Here, the arrogant Pharisee prides himself that he is "Not as the rest of men" {Lukes Account 9:11}. That he is justified in the eyes of the Lord, so he believes. The tribute collector, on the other hand, would not even approach the altar, but stood far off. This man, beating his own chest, prayed to the Lord that He would "Make a propitiatory shelter for me, a sinner!" {Lukes Account 18:13}. The scriptures tell us that the tribute collector returned to his own house justified in the eyes of God. Jesus concludes His parable with the point of His teaching, "Everyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, yet he who is humbling himself shall be exalted" {Lukes Account 18:14}. Good advice.
There is no independent, self-operating self in the universe, except the One Who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside Me" {Isaiah 45:5}.
No Independent Self ~ Norman Grubb
The popular assumption out there is that we, mankind in general, is his own separate individual. This belief speaks to the original sin spoken by the deceiver in the garden. For Satan convinced Adam and Eve that if they ate of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that they would "Be like God, knowing good and evil" {Genesis 3:1-6}. Why is this false belief in our own individuality a sin? Because it denies the presence of God in our existence. That we could somehow "Be like God," despite the truth that there is no other God but Him {Isaiah 45:5}. For its part, the mainstream church has continued to speak to the separation theology which insists that man and God have been separated by the sins of mankind. Many Christians enforce this belief by quoting the prophet Isaiah {Isaiah 59:2}. That God has indeed hidden His face from man, His cherished creation. If this were indeed true, why would God have dispatched His Son on our behalf? If God has hidden His face from me, what need do I have for Jesus? This is the question which needs to be asked of those who proclaim that we have somehow been separated from God. What about Jesus? The truth we find in the evangel of the apostle Paul is that we, as Gods loved creation, have never been separated from Him. We not only share in His creation, but it is Jesus Himself Who speaks to our life in He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. Jesus speaks to us not as individuals, but as one in union with Him {Paul to the Colossians 1:18}. How is it that we can have pride in being individuals when the scriptures point to the exact opposite? But, that is the way of the world. Our goal should be to be rejoicing in our life in Him. Knowing that in God we have our being {Acts of the Apostles 17:28}.
~Scott~
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