October 31, 2017
TO HIDE IS PRIDE
Proverbs 18:1–12
Michael O'Brien
Central Truth
Pride drives us into isolation. Jesus provides a way out.
Key Verse | Proverbs 18:1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
(Proverbs 18:1)
Proverbs 18:1–12
1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.
3
When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5
It is not good to be partial to
1
18:5
Hebrew to lift the face of
the wicked
or to deprive the righteous of justice.
6
A fool's lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.
7
A fool's mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9
Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.
10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11
A rich man's wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12
Before destruction a man's heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
Dive Deeper | Proverbs 18:1–12
Pride. It’s the oldest sin in the book. It entered the world when Adam, instead of trusting God, decided for himself what was good. He disobeyed God, and his self-protective instinct was to hide, cover himself up, and conceal the truth. Now, because one man chose not to believe God, everyone is born into this broken cycle (Romans 3:23). Be prideful. Choose sin. Isolate.
Pride blinds us from our own faults. It tells us we don’t need God and to keep our true selves hidden from others. It moves us toward isolation as the safest way to live. It tells us that our worth comes from what other people think of us. Ironically, it also tells us that we are better than the very people whose approval we desire.
Two years ago, God used community to show me that I was prideful, and I landed in re:generation, the Christ-centered recovery ministry at Watermark. I began to walk with God each day with a new understanding that pride was my main issue. Through reading His Word, I came to believe that my identity is only found in who God says I am. He says I am a sinner, but I am loved. I am forgiven because I received His free gift of grace by placing my faith in Jesus. Now when God looks at my life, even though I am still a sinner, He sees me the same way He sees Jesus . . . blameless. This gives me the freedom to come out of isolation by confessing my sin to community.
1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession produces humility. It’s the tool God uses to lift us up out of the darkness of isolation and squash our pride. Confession confirms our belief that God did everything required to save us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s how we know that we really trust God.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think you struggle with pride? If so, what does that look like in your life?
2. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Do you have unconfessed sin that you need to bring into the light?
3. Do you have a community group or people in your life to whom you are confessing your sin regularly? If not, why not?
4. Do you believe that God is good and He loves you right where you are?