Yes I can! No, you can’t……
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
I am a man who’s testimony is built in pride. I am just like you, I think I can do anything I put my mind to. It starts early in life, with parents breeding that self confidence that helps us to focus and persevere. It grows from youth into adulthood, the idea of the American Dream; you can succeed in this world if you try hard enough. If you don’t it is your own fault; if you do it is of your own self. Only you get the glory for your own success. The disappointments in people and life only bring about more independence and focus; the strive to succeed. This drive may produce success by worldly measure, but that measure is not eternal; and that eternal measure has no tolerance for pride. God showed me this in many ways of my life; He brought me to my knees so that I only could look up; He showed me I had no part in my supposed success; it all was a gift from God.
Pride is at the root of so many religions and false teachings today on how to reach God. Pride is at the root of believing you can do ANYTHING to earn God’s favor on your life; to earn your way into heaven; to do enough good deeds to outnumber the bad. Good deeds are a product of your Salvation, not a means to earn it! If by any means we could earn our salvation, then God sent his Son to die on a cross for nothing. James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” What would that act of grace represent in the ideal that we can do it without that provision? Pride is the root of why Satan was cast out from heaven; he thought he could be God. Pride is at the root of our sin in the Garden of Eden; we thought we could be like God. So our pride steers us to believe we can earn our way to God?
There must come a point in your life that you are humbled before God. There must come a point in your life that you realize your lost without God; without the sacrifice that Christ made for you on the Cross at Calvary. You must realize that the pride of yourself, the religious rituals you practice, the prayers you pray, the feel good feelings of going to church on Sunday; these you will die in and possibly pay for that mistake in eternal punishment for that pride. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Pride is the ticket to hell on which Satan smiles with you as his passenger. Pride will keep you from ever receiving the free gift of grace that is available to the humble heart. Swallow your pride, repent of your sins and plea for forgiveness; and let Christ into your heart as the only way to obtain hope of heaven for eternity. Ask God to daily remove the stumbling block of arrogance that Satan has placed in you from the beginning of time.
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