God Warns Against Self-Centered Pride

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

God Warns Against Self-Centered Pride

Today's Text: They shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, ... and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men. Daniel 4:22-25

The Message:      The faithful Daniel stood before the king, not to flatter, not to misinterpret in order to secure favor. A solemn duty rested upon him, to tell the king of Babylon the truth. He said, "My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. The tree that thou sawest, ... it is thou, O king."      Do we regard the kingdom of Babylon as of more importance in the estimation of God than are the instrumentalities and responsibilities He has entrusted to His chosen people, upon whom the ends of the world are come? We have here the workings of the great I AM to change even the heart of a heathen king. There is a Watcher just as really taking cognizance of all the works of human beings, but in a special sense of those who are to represent God by receiving His sacred truth into the heart and revealing it to the world....      In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the true object of government is beautifully represented by the great tree "whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation."-Manuscript 29, 1895.      The prophet Daniel interpreted the dream to the king, and he added the solemn admonition "Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thy iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity." ... For twelve months the king was tested and proved. During this time his actions were weighed in the balances of the sanctuary in heaven.      One morning as he walked in his palace, "the king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" While the king was swelling with self-importance, even "while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee."-Letter 71, 1894.

Commentary: My friend, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." (Proverbs 16:18, 19).  The carnal heart is at enmity with the Spirit of God.  It continually strives after the things of the flesh.  Pride is the most deadly of sins because it leads one to look away from God and unto self.  This trait of character was manifested in king Nebuchadnezzar and had it gone unchecked would have placed the king in a position where God could no longer reach him.  As such God warned him of his danger that he may humble himself before the Lord and be saved. In the same way God works with us as well.  We are on the road to perdition and our hearts are prone to pride.  The Lord in His love and mercy places before us a warning that if heeded will lead us into the paths of righteousness that we may be saved.  But if the message is unheeded we will result in the loss of our salvation. The people of God in the last days are represented as lukewarm.  They have prided themselves that they are the chosen of God and have settled into the belief that their salvation is sure.  They no longer truly believe that they need to overcome sin in their lives and as such they do not strive for it.  But the message to them is "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:17). The problem of the Laodecian church is that they have lost the righteousness of Christ.  They are worshiping the false god of the trinity and as such have received its false spirit.  That spirit is not the Spirit of Christ but the spirit of Satan.  They have a form of godliness but it denies the power of God to transform their lives.  The Laodecian condition is a condition of pride in their supposed righteousness, and in mercy the Lord gives them a message to humble themselves before the Only true God and to seek after His righteousness through His Son Jesus Christ. The message to Israel at the time of Christ was "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17), and the message to the Israel of today is more pointed than before saying "...be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19).  Unlike the story of king Nebuchadnezzar, the decision that we make at that time will be for all eternity.  That is why the message is to be zealous in our repentance.  The choice that we make will determine if the Spirit of God fills us or leaves us.  How we as Seventh-day Adventists respond to this message will either seal us or condemn us, for judgment begins at the house of God. My friend it is time to look away from the false god of the trinity and look unto Jesus, the true Son of God, that we may take upon ourselves His righteousness that we may be saved.  The message of God to us today is "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20).  Won't you let Him in today? God bless,

Video of the Week Triune Sonship - Imad Awde The Scripture says that Jesus was begotten three times. He was begotten in Heaven, begotten on earth, and begotten from the dead. How does His threefold Sonship relate to the plan of salvation? And why is the Sonship principle applied to all three of them? Join Imad as he addresses these questions and more.