PRIDE Part 3

[Ztheberean]

Those who are proud are “CLOSED”, and these proud ones are joined together and no one can come between them (Job 41:15-17). God calls THIS (being proud) the “terrible place” because these only speak (about themselves and what they do) (41:14).These are believers who are so-called brothers/sisters who are [“EASILY”] OFFENDED because they are very touchy (about being corrected by the word of God) (Prov 18:19). THESE BELIEVERS CANNOT BE A REAL FRIEND TO ANYONE (ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE FAITH) BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT “OPEN” OR INTERESTED IN OTHERS. (Prov 18:24)God says that a friend is someone who can stick close to another like a brother/sister (Prov 18:24) IT IS HARDER TO WIN OVER A BELIEVER WHO IS {“EASILY”] OFFENDED BECAUSE THEY ARE CONTENTIOUS (18:19). THESE PUT “THEMSELVES FIRST” IN “THEIR OWN” CAUSE BECAUSE THEY ARE SATISFIED WITH “THEIR OWN” WORDS (Prov 18:17 and 20).Are you waiting on the LORD? (Prov 20:22) If so, then your activities are of the LORD (20:24); Because you are not leaning upon “YOUR OWN” understanding, your trust is in the Lord therefore He IS directing your path (Prov 3:5), AND your purpose is established by [wise] counsel (Prov 20:18).Those who are wise in “THEIR OWN” eyes don’t have the knowledge of HOW to depart from this evil because they don’t have the fear of the Lord (3:7). THE FEAR OF THE LORD GIVES HATRED TOWARDS THE EVIL IN ALL OF ITS PRIDE AND ARROGANCE THAT BELIEVES “OUR OWN WAY, WILL AND WORK” IS GOOD (Prov 8:13-14).This is why it is said that believers who wander from this way of understanding are said to be DEAD in the congregation (Prov 21:16), and this IS because they haven’t laid the foundation of repentance from their DEAD (self-motivated) deeds (Heb 6:1).Consequently, these (unrepentant believers) need to be TAUGHT the first principals of the doctrine of Christ through tasting/experiencing the good word of God within God’s permission, for the heavenly gift (Heb 5:12, 6:5, 3-4). God needs to break the PRIDE of “OUR OWN” power and “OUR OWN” strength, so that we could be fruitful (Lev 26:19-20); Without which we ARE in opposition with God because we won’t be reformed through Him by the above things, therefore God is AGAINST us, and is going to punish us “SEVEN TIMES” for our sins (Lev 26:23-24, 21, 18, 27-28).Believers who have escaped the wilderness (Is 16:3, 1) are NOT in the pride (of putting their own will FIRST) because they have been established in the truth (16:5-6), which truth (discloses) that God takes us through the wilderness (of afflictions) so that we would become feeble (in our own will) and “very small” in this world, so that God would exalt us AFTER we have been made this low (Is 40:5-3).