Pride Precedes Destruction

PRIDE is the number one downfall of Americans; because it prevents us from being open minded to new ideas, and from making changes if necessary. "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, And the perverted mouth, I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Pride is an attitude that finds one content with their choices whether right or wrong. This is certainly the case when it comes to religion. Americans pride themselves in our First Amendment to the Constitution that guarantees them freedom of religion. While this God given right is based in our free moral agency, we must remember that God’s standard found only in His Word, is supreme over the Constitution.

God forces no one to choose His way, but we must be prepared to accept the consequences for choosing what is wrong. God’s way is the only true way, but we are free to choose the way of Satan, which unfortunately the majority of people in the world have done and continue to do (Matthew 7:13-14). Having worked in other countries, we have found there is a stark difference between men and women outside the United States, and citizens of the United States. Those outside the country are open to Bible study no matter who it is that is offering it. While men and women in the U.S. more times than not, refuse to study with anyone not a member of “their” respective church. Mostly because they have instructed not to do so. But why? If we all make the claim of being Christians. Which in turn means we are all members of God’s family. Would you treat your physical family the same way? We seriously doubt you would. Here in the U.S. when trying to offer free Bible study with someone, we either get the door shut in our face, or “I’m not interested, I have my own church.” Seriously? How many churches did Jesus say He would build? Our Bible, just like yours, says He only built ONE (Matthew 16:18). So how is that everyone has their own church, if Jesus only built one, and God only authorized one to exist? Again, please, if we are wrong, and you have the truth, won’t you please care for our souls enough to show us where we have misunderstood the Scriptures?

In the past five years in Haiti, we have converted twenty-four denominational churches to the church of Christ. That is a total of over 11,000 souls who with open and honest minds, realized the truth of the gospel and obeyed it. So why can’t the same thing happen here in the U.S.? PRIDE! The awful sin of pride prevents millions from opening their minds to the fact that they could be wrong. That their family tradition might be just that, a tradition and not the truth. In the past month we were able to convert a Baptist Church of 130 members to the truth of God’s Word. It now operates as the church of Christ – the only church Jesus built in the first century. It began with the Baptist preacher and his wife being curious about others obeying the gospel and ended up in a two-week study that found them becoming true New Testament Christians for the first time. The preacher then proceeded to teach the truth to the congregation, and they too saw the error they had been involved in and obeyed God’s gospel.

This is nothing new, the same thing happened in America in the 1800’s when denominational preachers began studying the Bible rather than their creed books and realized their creed books were wrong. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian preachers obeyed the gospel and began teaching the truth to their congregations, and the church of Christ grew like it did in the first century. These were individuals that swallowed their pride, opened their minds to the idea they could be wrong, and when they realized they were in fact taught error they chose to accept God’s truth and obey it (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

The American Restoration Movement of the 1800’s occurred for the purpose of restoring the old paths of God’s Word. Jeremiah dealt with hard hearted people whose pride motivated them to rebel against God. “Thus, saith Jehovah, stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, we will not walk (therein)” (Jeremiah 6:16). Thousands of Americans in the 1800’s opened their hearts and minds to the truth and were added by God to the one true church Jesus built (Acts 2:47; Matthew 16:18). The same can be found today, all one needs to do is cast aside all preconceived ideas about Christianity, and simply accept what the Bible says. You may believe you have been following the gospel of Christ, but the sad fact is that you have not. You have been following the creeds invented by men. Doctrines that are found nowhere in all the Bible. Jesus said of the wickedness of pride - "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person" (Mark 7:20-23). The reason thousands of precious souls in Haiti have left behind their denominations, and their doctrine, is because (1) for the first time their eyes have been opened to the truth of God’s Word, and (2) they humbled themselves before God, demonstrating godly fear (respect). “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).

It is our prayer that you too will open your hearts, humble yourselves before God, and desire the one truth that is able to save your souls. If over 11,000 Haitians, and the hundreds of thousands more in India and Africa can do it, then so can you. All it requires is humility of spirit. Admit you could be wrong. We continue to urge others to show us where we are wrong. Prove it by the Scriptures, that God authorizes more than one church, more than one way to be saved, more than one way to worship Him. We have patiently waited for your ‘pastors’ to step up and defend their doctrine, but they continue to hide behind their four walls. Why can we not reason together (Isaiah 1:18)?