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1 Peter 5:5, 6 - Humility vs. Pride.

1 Peter 5:5, 6: Humility vs. Pride.

1 Peter 5:5, 6 (NKJV) Likewise you younger people, submit 
yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, 
and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives 
grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty 
hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  

1 Peter 5:5, 6 (VOICE) You who are younger in the faith: do as 
your elders and leaders ask. All of you should treat each other with 
humility, for as it says in Proverbs (Pro. 3:34), God opposes the proud 
but offers grace to the humble. 6 So bow down under Gods strong 
hand; then when the time comes, God will lift you up. 

1 Peter 5:5, 6 (AMP) Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser 
rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of 
the church)"[giving them due respect and yielding to their 
counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the 
garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped 
from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. 
For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the 
overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)"[and He 
opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) 
to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower 
yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in 
due time He may exalt you,  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   C. S. Lewis asserts that the ultimate sin is Pride. "It is a 
terrible thing that the worst of all the vices can smuggle itself into 
the very center of our religious life." Lewis says that other vices, 
such as anger, greed, and drunkenness, are "mere fleabites in 
comparison" and come from our physical nature, but Pride, he observes, 
"comes direct from hell."  
   Direct from hell? Isn't that a bit extreme? 
   "It was through Pride that the devil became the devil," Lewis 
contends. "Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God 
state of mind." [The One Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra re 
Zep. 2:3] 

WORD STUDY

HUMILITY

The Holman Bible Dictionary defines humility as a personal 
quality in which an individual shows dependence on God and respect for 
other persons. Augustine says, "It was pride that changed angels into 
devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." Again, he says, 
"Should you ask me, What is the first thing in religion? I should reply, 
The first, second, and third thing therein - nay all- is humility." 
Ben Franklin said, "After crosses and losses men grow humbler and 
wiser." Jonathan Edwards "Nothing sets a person so much out of the 
devil's reach as humility." "The fullest and best ears of corn hang 
lowest toward the ground." (Edward Reynolds) "I believe the first test 
of a truly great man is his humility." (Ruskin) "Humility is the 
Christian's greatest honor; and the higher men climb, the further they are 
from heaven." (Jane Porter) "True humility makes way for Christ, and 
throws the soul at His feet." (J. Mason) Yokefellow Bible Study mod 

Humility is a fruit of the Spirit, the result of his ministry in 
our hearts. But this ministry does not occur without deliberate, 
conscious effort on our part. The Spirit does not make us humble; he 
enables us to humble ourselves in these difficult situations.... A very 
common occasion for showing humility is through serving one another. In 
this area Jesus is our greatest teacher and pacesetter.... Jesus' 
whole life was one of serving others. He said he did not come to be 
served but to serve; he went around doing good for others.... Jesus 
also taught us the importance of serving one another.... He promised 
blessing to those who followed his example in serving others.... 
Dependence upon the grace of God results in God being glorified; it also 
makes it possible for those who are not natural servants to practice 
humility. His grace is sufficient for all of our needs. We can, by his 
ennoblement, learn to serve one another. (From The Practice of Godliness by 
Jerry Bridges) [Inspirational SB re Mat 19] 

PRIDE

The Proud: or, the Haughty, the Arrogant. [SDA Bible 
Commentary] 

Pride: see Commentary Pearl above.

Pride does not know its own need. It so admires itself that it 
recognizes no need to be supplied.  It cherishes its own independence. It 
will be beholden to no man and not even to God.  It does not 
recognize its own sin. It is occupied with thinking of its own goodness 
and never realizes that it has any sin from which it needs to be 
saved. A pride like that cannot receive help, because it does not know 
that it needs help, and, therefore, it cannot ask. [Barclay 
Commentary re Jam.4:6] 

COMMENTARY

   "You're so old-fashioned you just don't understand!" "Well, 
let me tell you what it was like when I was your age." On which side 
of the generation gap do you stand?  
   A key word in the last chapter of Peter's first epistle is 
humble. Yet it is not a word that often describes relationships between 
young people and their elders. Whether you are old or young, take an 
attitude check as you read.  
   Haughty leaders beware, for Peter has strong words in this 
passage for those who abuse their positions and responsibilities. 
Suffering again sets the tone, but so does the certainty of God's grace 
and power to carry his people through.  

   The variety of ages among Christians in the early church 
posed a challenge. The older believers had wisdom to share; the 
younger ones did not always want to listen to them and follow their 
lead. Peter told his readers that they could solve their problem by 
letting the older ones humbly lead the way (1 Peter 5:3). It would take 
humility from both sides - the young would have to submit to the old, and 
the old would have to respect the young (5:5).  
   The lines of communication between older and younger 
generations have always had a bit of static. Humility toward each other 
clears up the signal. Pride breaks communication between generations, 
while humility opens the lines.  
   Look to those who are older than you for leadership and 
guidance. Ask them for advice. Consider their input, and when appropriate, 
let them lead. At the same time, never look down on the young just 
because they may lack the wisdom that you once lacked yourself. [The One 
Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman re 1Pe. 5:1-14] 

   The Lord keeps His distance from the proud. We can relate; no 
one likes to be around those who are full of themselves. Arrogance 
has a way of alienating people. It alienates God, too.  
   In human relationships, we are repulsed by extreme cases of 
arrogance and annoyed by mild ones. We tolerate degrees of it in people 
with other redeeming qualities but are impatient toward those in whom 
it is conspicuous. We let it slide with those who can benefit us 
but quickly reject those who can do us no favors. And while we spot 
pride easily in others, we hardly notice it in ourselves. We have 
sliding scales of judgment based on our personal preferences and 
experiences. In other words, our perception of pride is skewed.  
   God's isn't. He detects pride immediately and precisely 
wherever it exists, and it always pushes Him away. It doesn't cause His 
love to fail - nothing can do that - but it certainly takes the 
pleasure out of the relationship. He can't honor those who elevate 
themselves; if He showered His favor on them, they would receive it as 
affirmation of their inflated self-esteem. He's too good for that. That's 
why He lets the proud fall and keeps His distance.  
   If you crave God's Presence, ruthlessly eliminate pride. We'd 
prefer that God give us the right attitude, but Scripture tells us to 
humble ourselves (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).When He can trust you to 
remain humble - truly unassuming, not falsely modest - He is freed to 
enjoy and bless the relationship without fueling annoying attitudes. 
Good things come to those who aren't ruined by them.  
   Lord, I know where I stand before You. I'm not worthy of Your 
favor, but You give it anyway. I accept it as a gift - a free gift 
based entirely on Your goodness and not my merit. I know You don't 
have to bless me, but I'm so glad You do. And I'll remain forever 
grateful. [The One Year Experiencing Gods Presence Devotional by Chris 
Tiegreen re Psa. 138:6] 

   C. S. Lewis asserts that the ultimate sin is Pride. "It is a 
terrible thing that the worst of all the vices can smuggle itself into 
the very center of our religious life." Lewis says that other vices, 
such as anger, greed, and drunkenness, are "mere fleabites in 
comparison" and come from our physical nature, but Pride, he observes, 
"comes direct from hell."  
   Direct from hell? Isn't that a bit extreme? 
   "It was through Pride that the devil became the devil," Lewis 
contends. "Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God 
state of mind."  
   Lewis is not, of course, speaking of self-worth or of 
enjoying a compliment. He's referring to the pride that rises within us 
to be better than others, to have more than others, and to be 
"captains of our own fate." Who needs God when we can rise on our own?  
   In contrast to devilish pride, there's godly humility. Lewis 
emphasizes that God "wants to give you Himself" He predicts that those in 
touch with God "will, in fact, be humble - delightedly humble."  
   The pride that Satan tries to smuggle into us provides not 
delight but a rebel spirit. Some are puzzled about Jesus' scathing 
renunciations of religious leaders. He called them snakes and hypocrites and 
used language against them that would fit a brutal political 
campaign. These same leaders determined that Jesus should be crucified.  
   A thoughtful Christian once observed, "If I had lived in 
Jesus' day, I'd have been a Pharisee. I believe in the Scriptures as 
the Pharisees did." It sobered him to think he might be a modern 
counterpart to those who sent Jesus to the Cross.  
   It should sober us all! We who claim the Christian faith are 
determined to get our doctrines right, and we are often critical of those 
who cross our categories.  
   It was the Pharisees' pride that angered Jesus - and their 
lack of love. Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God 
and love others. When we genuinely love God, we become "delightedly 
humble."  
   Lord, I'm a sinner saved by your grace. Keep me from being 
proud when I resist vices that have tripped up others. Let your 
magnificence and holiness fill my mind with awe and praise. [The One Year 
Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra re Zep. 2:3] 

   Pride is a big problem that can derail us. But knowing why we 
act out of pride can sometimes help us reject that unhealthy 
thinking. These are some of the reasons: 
   1.	Pride often masks insecurity. We feel that no matter how 
much we achieve, it will never be enough. 
   2.	Pride may be the result of a lack of positive attention 
and affirmation in our lives. We think we have a right to this 
recognition even if we have to boast about ourselves. 
   3.	Pride comes when we believe our achievements are our own 
doing. 
   The following acrostic is a check to help us rid ourselves of 
PRIDE: 
      P stands for prayer. Pray that God will show you where 
pride is present in your life. 
      R stands for reading your Bible. A word study on the word 
pride is a good place to begin. 
      I stands for involvement with others. Because it's hard to 
see things in ourselves, we need to ask others what they see. 
      D stands for developing a plan for getting rid of the 
pride in your life. This plan should include God and your 
accountability partners. 
      E stands for Ephesians 3:20-21, which says, "To him who is 
able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to 
his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church 
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! 
Amen." 
   Dear Father, I want my life to be free of pride, which can 
trip me up and keep me from being all I can be. Thank you for helping 
me as I fight this enemy of my soul. In Jesus' name, Amen. 
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker re Proverbs 
16:18] 

ILLUSTRATION

   When my kids were little, it seemed like any problem could be 
quickly solved with fish crackers and a juice carton. But the reality of 
grown-up life is that we are powerless over many of the circumstances in 
our lives. When I try to grab one of those problems by the horns and 
fix it myself, it usually ends up in a tangled mess.  
   It's humbling to realize we have no power. The big man inside 
us wants to be able to take care of business. But no matter how bad 
things are, we can always make things worse by flexing our muscles and 
beating our chests.  
   Fortunately, there is a way to deal with the problems in our 
lives, though it seems opposed to what we've always been taught. The 
Bible tells us that the people who humble themselves will gain honor 
and find a solution to their problems. God has a unique and special 
purpose for each of us. But we must remove our pride and let him lead 
the way. Only then can we be infused with his wisdom and counsel. 
Only then can we see the big picture. Only then can we find permanent 
solutions rather than temporary fixes.  
   Father, I surrender my heart and life to you once again. 
Thank you for teaching me that I have no power over my life, but I am 
powerful when I live in fill surrender to you. In Jesus' name, Amen. 
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker re Proverbs 
29:23] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   One of the dangers in the Christian life is to take credit 
for what God does. This was the Assyrians problem. They were a 
weak nation until God chose to bless them in order to use them as an 
instrument to punish the Israelites. However, the more God blessed them, 
the more confident they became in their own strength. When the 
farmers had good crops, they credited their farming skills rather than 
God. When their army won a victory, their generals took the credit. 
When the nation experienced prosperity, the Assyrians attributed it 
to their military and political might. Finally, God pointed out the 
absurdity of their conclusions (Is 10:5"19). 
   It is sometimes easier to handle poverty or weakness than 
wealth or strength. Poverty causes us to recognize our need for God. 
Prosperity persuades us that we no longer require Him. Scripture holds 
several examples of those who assumed they were self-sufficient, only to 
realize their dire poverty apart from God. Samson was the strongest 
person alive, but he forgot that his strength came from God. Once God 
removed his strength, Samson was reduced to a pitiful slave. Saul was 
the first king of Israel, yet when God removed His Spirit from this 
proud monarch, he became a paranoid, petty man, seeking counsel from 
the occult. 
   Be careful how you handle the success God gives you! As you 
enjoy His blessings in your family, your business, or your ministry, 
keep in mind that you are an instrument in the hands of the Master. 
[Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re Isa. 10:15] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160915-1637.html

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160113-1026.html

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050113-1040.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782

Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES AND SEMINARS

Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/

ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com